Survey of Phenolic Compounds Produced in Citrus
Flavonoid Composition of Citrus

Mandarin (Citrus reticulata, a primary Citrus species) contains predominantly hesperidin, occasionally narirutin, and trace levels of didymin. Many studies note that hesperidin is a major flavanone component of mandarin (Horowitz and Gentili 1977, Kamiya et al. 1979, Metzler 1977). The simplicity of the flavanone profiles in mandarin (1–3 flavanones per tissue) is similar to that in citron, another primary species. Narirutin has been found in mandarin (Horowitz and Gentili 1977, Albach and Redman 1969). Other studies found eriocitrin in 'Ladoo' mandarin (Albach and Redman 1969, Hagen et al. 1966). All studies agree that rutinosyl flavanones predominate in mandarin and that hesperidin makes up a large part of the phenolics found in the tissues.

We did not find any eriocitrin in the mandarin cultivars we examined. There was some didymin in the 'Robinson' and 'Sunburst' mandarins. 'Robinson' is a 'Clementine' mandarin × 'Orlando' tangelo cross (Markham and Ternai 1976, Metzler 1977), which may account for the presence of a neohesperidosyl flavanone. The 'Solid Scarlet' and 'Burgess' cultivars are pure mandarins (Markham and Ternai 1976) and have no detectable levels of didymin. Mandarin, like other species containing mostly rutinosyl flavanones, contains the flavone/ols rutin and diosmin.

previous page

next page

United States Department of Agriculture
Agricultural Research Service

The material on this page is in the public domain.

Original posting: April 1, 1999.