INSIGHTS INTO THE ROLES OF ANTIOXIDANTS IN CITRUS FRUITS

Citrus fruits are known for their nutritiousness. Role of vitamins and minerals play a major role in citrus fruits during plant-pathogen interactions. These fruits are the supreme fruit crops which contain flavonoids and phenolic compounds. These molecules benefit individuals who are all consuming and play an important role in fruit ripening and development. Mainly these molecules act as antioxidants to eliminate free radicals formed during fruit development. Primary metabolism is the same in citrus as it estimates the flow of carbon in fruits. In this review, we discuss a few antioxidant molecules that have an additional role in the fruit development. These molecules are vitamins, phenolic compounds and terpenoids, mostly except vitamins; all the compounds are found in an actual form where vitamins A, C, E are available in the form of beta Carotenes, ascorbic acid or ascorbate and tocopherols in plants. Phenolic acids and coumarins are rich in citrus fruits and are powerful due to their hydroxyl groups. Limonoids are a terpenoid molecule mostly seen in the seeds, peel and juices of citrus fruit. The antioxidant production is associated with its genes that will directly mediate the production of those molecules, or it will be involved in the pathway of molecular biosynthesis. Transcriptomics studies revealed the function of these genes, and the understanding helps in creating better breeds, for example, up-regulation of CitPSY expression produces fruit with aesthetic texture, CsMYB96 is a gene that aids for phenolic production, directly controlling pathogens and preventing plants from drought.