Limonin is a

limonoid Limonoids are phytochemicals of the triterpenoid class which are abundant in sweet or sour-scented citrus fruit and other plants of the families Cucurbitaceae, Rutaceae, and Meliaceae. Certain limonoids are antifeedants such as azadirachtin from ...

, and a bitter, white, crystalline substance found in

citrus ''Citrus'' is a genus of flowering plant, flowering trees and shrubs in the rue family, Rutaceae. Plants in the genus produce citrus fruits, including important crops such as Orange (fruit), oranges, Lemon, lemons, grapefruits, pomelos, and lim ...

and other plants. It is also known as limonoate D-ring-lactone and limonoic acid di-delta-lactone. Chemically, it is a member of the class of compounds known as

furanolactone A furanolactone is a heterocyclic chemical compound that contains both a lactone and a furan ring structure. Examples include: * The salvinorins, including the hallucinogenic compound salvinorin A * Columbin, a bitter diterpenoid from '' Calumb ...

Sources

Limonin is enriched in citrus fruits and is often found at higher concentrations in seeds, for example

orange Orange most often refers to: *Orange (fruit), the fruit of the tree species '' Citrus'' × ''sinensis'' ** Orange blossom, its fragrant flower *Orange (colour), from the color of an orange, occurs between red and yellow in the visible spectrum * ...

and

lemon The lemon (''Citrus limon'') is a species of small evergreen trees in the flowering plant family Rutaceae, native to Asia, primarily Northeast India (Assam), Northern Myanmar or China. The tree's ellipsoidal yellow fruit is used for culin ...

seeds.

Presence in citrus products

Limonin and other limonoid compounds contribute to the

bitter taste The gustatory system or sense of taste is the sensory system that is partially responsible for the perception of taste (flavor). Taste is the perception produced or stimulated when a substance in the mouth reacts chemically with taste receptor ...

of some citrus food products. Researchers have proposed removal of limonoids from

orange juice Orange juice is a liquid extract of the orange (fruit), orange tree fruit, produced by squeezing or reaming oranges. It comes in several different varieties, including blood orange, navel oranges, valencia orange, clementine, and tangerine. A ...

and other products (known as "debittering") through the use of polymeric films.

Research

Limonin is under

basic research Basic research, also called pure research or fundamental research, is a type of scientific research with the aim of improving scientific theories for better understanding and prediction of natural or other phenomena. In contrast, applied resear ...

to assess its possible biological properties.

References

{{Reflist

External links

"Citrus Compound: ready to help your body!"
(Agricultural Research Service, USDA) Epoxides 3-Furyl compounds Delta-lactones Terpenes and terpenoids