Influence of Cultivar and Turbidity on Physicochemical Properties, Functional Characteristics and Volatile Flavor Substances of Pomelo Juices

Exploring the nutraceutical potential: Evaluating the nutritional and bioactive functions of five pomelo fruit varieties in Bangladesh

Pomelo (Citrus maxima), the largest citrus fruit, provides a variety of nutrients that have several health benefits, including antioxidant and antidiabetic functions. Antioxidants help combat oxidative stress by neutralizing reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reducing cellular damage. On the other hand, antidiabetic properties involve mechanisms such as enhancing insulin secretion, improving insulin sensitivity, inhibiting carbohydrate digestion and absorption, and regulating glucose metabolism. However, there is a lack of data on the comparative analysis of the physicochemical composition, bioactive properties, and antidiabetic effects of pomelo fruits grown in Bangladesh. To address this issue, the most common and popular high-yielding five cultivars of pomelo fruits grown in Bangladesh including LOCAL, BARI-2 (BARI: Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute, Batabi Lebu-2), BARI-3, BARI-4, and BARI-6 were evaluated concerning proximate, minerals, and physicochemical properties with their antidiabetic and antioxidant properties. Research has revealed that all pomelo varieties contained a significant amount of proximate compositions and major minerals (Ca, Mg, K, Na, and Fe). The highest juice yield (75.37 ± 0.33 %), vitamin C content (79.56 ± 2.26 mg/100 mL of fresh juice), and carotenoid content (919.33 ± 0.62 μM β-Carotene Equivalent/g DM) were found in BARI-3 pomelo fruit and adhered to the sequence (p < 0.05): BARI-3 > LOCAL > BARI-4 > BARI-6 > BARI-2; BARI-3 > LOCAL > BARI-2 > BARI-4 > BARI-6, and BARI-3 > BARI-2 > BARI-6 > LOCAL > BARI-4, respectively. The anthocyanin content and inhibitory activity of α-glucosidase were found to be at their peak in the BARI-2 pomelo variety and the values were 50.65 ± 2.27 μg cyanidin 3-glucoside equivalents/100 g DM and 85.57 ± 0.00 μM acarbose equivalents/g DM, respectively. BARI-3 pomelo variety showed highest DPPH antioxidant capacity (170.47 ± 0.01 μM Trolox equivalents/g DM), while the BARI-6 pomelo variety exhibited the highest total phenolic content (6712.30 ± 1.84 μg gallic acid equivalents/g DM), and ferric-reducing antioxidant power activity (183.16 ± 0.01 μM Fe(II) equivalents/g DM). Therefore, this study explores the nutritional value and bioactivity of five popular pomelo varieties in Bangladesh, offering valuable insights for utilizing high-value citrus resources and understanding their health-promoting functions.

Enhancing Phytochemical Compounds, Functional Properties, and Volatile Flavor Profiles of Pomelo (Citrus grandis (L.) Osbeck) Juices from Different Cultivars through Fermentation with Lacticaseibacillus paracasei

The current study aimed to explore the effects of fermenting five different pomelo cultivars using Lacticaseibacillus paracasei on various physicochemical, phytochemical, and organoleptic attributes. Fermentation led to an increase in viable lactic acid bacteria count (8.80-9.28 log cfu/mL), organic acids, total polyphenols, and flavonoids, resulting in improved antioxidant activity, bile acid binding, cholesterol micellization disruption, and inhibition of pancreatic lipase activity. Additionally, some cultivars displayed higher levels of naringin, naringenin, and hesperetin after fermentation. The levels of volatile compounds were elevated after fermentation. The bitterness and overall acceptability scores were improved in the fermented samples of the Kao Numpueng cultivar. The principal component analysis (PCA) revealed that the Tubtim Siam cultivar demonstrated the highest functionality and health-related benefits among all fermented pomelos. Overall, the study suggests that pomelo exhibits potential as a valuable resource for creating a dairy-free probiotic drink enriched with bioactive phytochemical compounds and beneficial functional attributes.