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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Byron, Georgia » Fruit and Tree Nut Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #307196
Title: Integrated profiling of Furanocoumarins (FC) in Grapefruit hybrids toward selection of low FC varieties

Author
item Chen, Chunxian
item GMITTER, FRED - University Of Florida
item CANCALON, PAUL - Florida Department Of Citrus
item GREENBLATT, DAVID - Tufts University

Submitted to: Acta Horticulturae
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/22/2014
Publication Date: 1/20/2015
Publication URL: http://www.actahort.org/books/1065/
Citation: Chen, C., Gmitter, F.J., Cancalon, P., Greenblatt, D. 2015. Integrated profiling of Furanocoumarins (FC) in Grapefruit hybrids toward selection of low FC varieties. Acta Horticulturae. 1065:427-431.

Interpretive Summary: Grapefruit juice effect, caused by the interaction of some furanocoumarins (FC) with human drugs, has a negative impact on grapefruit marketing and consumption. Low FC grapefruit cultivars may be an ultimate solution to the effect and allow grapefruits to be consumed by these concerned people. FC was quantified in parents of low and high FC and their hybrids to understand the trait inheritance, compare their inhibitory potency on cytochrome P450, and further facilitate selection of low FC cultivars.

Technical Abstract: Furanocoumarins (FC) are a class of organic chemical components in grapefruits and other diet plants. Some of them in grapefruit juice can induce potentially adverse interactions with human drugs and in that patients may be advised to avoid the fruit and juice. To develop low FC grapefruit cultivars, integrated approaches were used to facilitate achieving the goal, including quantification of different FC, inference of the trait inheritance, comparison of their inhibitory potency on cytochrome P450, an enzyme responsible for drug metabolism. 6,7-DHB, bergamottin, and paradisin C concentrations were found to share strong correlations (R2 up to 0.91) and co-segregate approximately in a 1:1 manner among hybrids with low and high FC content at the preset cutoff total FC concentration. The inhibitory potency on cytochrome P450 appeared to correlate with the FC content (R2 up to 0.96) in different juice samples. The phytochemical, genetic, and pharmaceutical profiles of the FC are leading to an ultimate solution to the grapefruit juice drug interaction issue by selection of some FC-eliminated grapefruit varieties.