Comparison of Peel Components of Mandarin, Sour lemon and Sour orange (Citrus sp.)

Document Type : Original Article

Abstract

The peel components of Mandarin, Sour lemon and Sour orange were analyzed. Peel flavor
components were extracted using cold-press method and eluted using n-hexane. All compounds
were analyzed using GC-FID and GC-MS. Twenty-seven, Twenty-four and Twenty-nine peel
components were identified in Mandarin, Sour lemon and Sour orange respectively. They include
aldehydes, alcohols, esters, monoterpenes and sesquiterpenes. The major flavor components
identified included limonene, β -myrcene, linalool, (E)-β-ocimene, α-Pinene, β-Pinene and
sabinene. Among the three species examined, Sour orange showed the highest aldehyde content.
Considering that aldehyde content of Citrus oil is an indicator of high quality, it seems that
Citrus species have a profound influence on oil quality.

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