Composition of the volatile oils of the C.bigaradia, C.limon and C.DELICOSA have been investigated. The plant materials (leaves) were collected in spring 2000 from Corta (The medicinal plants garden) near Tonecabon, North of Iran. The oils were collected by means of hydrodistilation procedure. The yields were 1.4% v/w, 1.1 % v/w and 1% v/w respectively. Subesequently the oils were analyzed by gas chromatography mass spectrometry. The main constituents of C.bigaradia were linallol (38.72%), linalyl acetare (36.52%), ?-terpineol (8.68%), of C.limon were geranial (31.45%), neral (23.16%), ?-pinene (22.39%) and limonenc (6.7%) and of C.deliciosa were sabinene (37.64%), linallol (36.60%), ?-3-carene (4.42%) and citronellal (3.81%).

Annually a significant portion of agricultural products is destroyed by the stored products pests. The chemical pesticides are commonly used to control pests. The residual hazards of pesticides on the storage products as well as increase in the pest resistance necessitate the selection of safe and effective control methods. The plant compounds can be the subject of researches on the storage pests control with the low-risk methods. Therfore, this experiment was conducted to study the effects of peel essential oil from three CITRUS spp. including CITRUS limon L., C. sinensis L., and C. aurantium L. on the adults of Callosobruchus maculatus F., Sitophilus granarius L., and Tribolium confusum Duv. The probit analysis was performed after 24 and 48 hours to evaluate the effects of essential oils on the pests. After determining the LC50 and LC25, the combinations of C. limon LC25 + C. aurantium LC25, C. limon LC25 + C. sinensis LC25, and C. sinensis LC25 + C. aurantium LC25 were tested to evaluate the combined effects of essential oils. The treatments had three replications and each replicate was performed on ten two-days-old adult insects in a completely randomized design. Also, the essential oils were analyzed by GC/MS to evaluate their major constituents. The LC50 value (μ, l. l-1) of essential oils of C. limon, C. sinensis, and C. aurantium was 3. 8, 2. 65, and 3. 11 after 24 hours and 2. 48, 1. 93, and 2. 88 after 48 hours on the S. granaries adults, 0. 23, 2. 41, and 2. 66 after 24 hours and 0. 13, 1. 38, and 2. 35 after 48 hours on C. maculatus, and 5. 33, 2. 76, and 1. 35 after 24 hours and 24. 2, 2. 49, and 0. 89 after 48 hours on T. confusum, respectively. The study on the combined effects of essential oils showed that the C. limon LC25 + C. sinensis LC25 treatment was more effective than the effect of each essential oil alone on all three pests. According to the results of this study, the use of CITRUS peel essential oil, especially C. limon, could be recommended in the production of bio-pesticides.

Background: Microorganisms resistant to most antibiotics are rapidly spreading, and there is an urgent and continuous need for novel antimicrobial compounds. The genus CITRUS belongs to the family Rutaceae and has many biologically active secondary metabolites.Objectives: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the antimicrobial activity of essential oil and extract of Lemon (CITRUS limon), Mandarin (CITRUS reticulata), and Pummelo (CITRUS grandis) against Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Bacillus subtilis, and Salmonella typhi.Materials and Methods: The fresh CITRUS leaves were shade-dried and powdered. Then, their antimicrobial metabolites were extracted by 80% methanol, and a Clevenger-type apparatus was used for essential oil. Eight different concentrations of each leaf extract and essential oil were prepared. The antimicrobial susceptibility of CITRUS leaf metabolites were assayed against 4 bacterial strains by agar disc diffusion and E-test method.Results: In this study, minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of different CITRUS leaf extracts were determined against all four food-borne pathogens. The C. grandis leaf essential oil had potent antimicrobial activity against all four pathogens, and the C. limon leaf essential oil was effective on Gram positive bacteria. Salmonella typhi was resistant against these two leaves’ essential oils.Conclusion: The results showed that the extracts had no antimicrobial effect on tested bacteria. In this study, the antibacterial effect of essential oil of CITRUS leaves on four strains of pathogenic microorganisms was confirmed. The C. grandis leaf essential oil had the most powerful antimicrobial properties, suggesting its potential application as natural preservative in foods or an effective medicine against different pathogenic microbes.

Introduction: Oranges are the second most widely consumed fruit in the world after apples. The quality of CITRUS fruits depends not only on the appearance of the fruit size, shape, color and absence of disease and any surface damage, but also on the flavor, richness of food, vitamins, seedlessness and fruit aroma. The present study investigated the fruit qualitative differences between the ten orange varieties (Thomson Navel, Tarocco, Mars Early, Frost Novel, Local, Italian, Khorram Abadian, Hamlin, Morbeld and Moro Valencia) that grafted on sour orange rootstock, in the Jiroft region. The aim of this study was introducing the fruit qualitative characteristics and nutritional value of ten orange cultivars on the sour orange rootstock in climate conditions of Jiroft region, for fresh uses and processing. Also, determine the capabilities of each cultivar in antioxidant content and antioxidant capacity to introduce the properties of these cultivars to researchers in the food and pharmaceutical industries. Materials and Methods: Fruit weight was determined by digital scales. The volume of the fruit was obtained by moving the water. The 0. 1 mm caliber device was used to measure skin thickness, length and fruit diameter. To measure the thickness of the fruit skin, a cut was first separated from the middle part of the fruit and its thickness was recorded in mm. The total number of hollow and healthy seeds was counted and was recorded as seed number. The juice percentage was calculated by calculating the percentage of juice mass to fruit mass. A manual refractometer was used to measure the total soluble solids, and thesodium hydroxide titration method was used to measure the titration acidity. The flavor index or maturity index was obtained from the TSS/TA ratio and technology index was calculated by multiplying the percentage of TSS in the percentage of juice. Vitamin C measured by the iodometric method. The antioxidant activity of juice was determined based on the DPPH method. Carotenoid and chlorophyll pigments in juices and skins, were calculated using the Liechtensteiner pigmentation method. The experiment was done as a randomized complete block design in three replications. Statistical analysis of the data was performed using SAS software and means were compared using Duncan's multiple range test at 5% of probability level. Result and Discussion: The results showed that Thomson Novell, Frost Novell and Italian cultivars had the highest freshness quality in terms of appearance characteristics (fruit weight, volume, and length, number of seeds, and fruit shape index) among the ten cultivars evaluated. All cultivars were in the physiological maturity stage and were suitable for the juice industry due to their high technology index. The range of vitamin C varied 57-109 mg per 100 ml juice and the range of antioxidant capacity varied 65-94%. Morbeld, Valencia Morocco, Frost Novell and Mars Early cultivars had higher nutritional value due to higher vitamin C, and Hamlin, local, Tarocco and Frost Navel had higher antioxidant capacity. Khorramabadian cultivar had higher carotenoid pigments in juice and skin. Conclusion: Therefore, most of the studied cultivars had high freshness and nutritional value, but among them, Frost Novell cultivar, considering the amount of vitamin C, antioxidant capacity, technology index and appearance characteristics in the higher statistically groups and was in the lower statistical group in terms of number of seeds, therefore was selected as the best cultivar.

CITRUS yellow vein clearing virus (CYVCV) is in the genus of Mandarivirus that infects some CITRUS cultivars and causes damage. In this study, the transmission of CYVCV by Aphis spiraecola, A. gossypii, and Toxoptera aurantii was investigated. Several 30 adult aphids of each species after a 24-hour acquisition access period (AAP) on infected Persian Lime were transferred to CITRUS lemon cv. Eureka seedlings for 24 and 48 hours’ inoculation access period (IAP). Six months after inoculation, the infected plants were counted. Then their infection was confirmed by a two-step RT-PCR test. The results of the first test showed that 6 months’ post-inoculation, the mean transmission rate of CYVCV by A. spiraecola, A. gossypii, and T. aurantii was 16.67%, 13.33%, and 26.67%, respectively, for 24h AAP/24h IAP. The mean transmission rate was 23.33%, 20%, and 33.33% for 24h AAP/48h IAP, respectively. By increasing the inoculation access period of aphids on virus-infected plants from 24 h to 48 h, the transmission rate increased. In the second test, all three species of aphids with an unknown AAP were collected from infected Persian lime trees in the orchard, under natural conditions and allowed to feed for 24 and 48 hours on Eureka lemon in the greenhouse. It was found that the tested aphids were capable of transmitting this virus. The present study confirmed that the virus is transmitted from Persian lime to Eureka lemon by these CITRUS aphids under controlled conditions.

Background: Currently cancer is considered as one of the main causes of mortality globally. Many chemicals in our environment can cause genetic mutations and are potentially responsible for millions of cancer-related deaths. The scientists are nowadays looking for food materials which can potentially prevent cancer occurrence. The aim of this research was to examine antimutagenicity and anticancer effects of CITRUS Limon fruit juices.Material and methods: In the present study Human Astrocytoma cancer cells were cultured in DMEM (Gibco), supplemented with 10% fetal calf serum, penicillin, streptomycin, L-glutamine and incubated at 37oC for 2 days. In addition, cancer cell lines were treated by CITRUS Limon fruit juice and cellular vital capacity was determined by MTT. The CITRUS Limon fruit juice was subsequently evaluated in terms of antimutagenicity and anticancer properties by a standard reverse mutation assay (Ames Test). For performing Ames Test salmonella typhimurium TA100 strain was chosen based on the fact that it had a specific mutation in the histidine operon, requiring histidine from a foreign source to ensure its growth. The mentioned strain gives rise to reverted colonies exposing to carcinogen substance (Sodium Azide).Results: During MTT, human Astrocytoma cell line revealed to have a significant cell death when compared with controls (p<0.01). In Ames Test the fruit juices prevented the reverted mutations and the hindrance percent of half-ripe CITRUS Limon was 71.7% and ripe CITRUS Limon was 34.4% in antimutagenicity test and this value in anticancer test was 83.3% and 50% in half-ripe CITRUS Limon and ripe CITRUS Limon, respectively.Conclusion: This is the first study that revealed antimutagenicity and anticancer effects of CITRUS Limon fruit juice and the effects were higher in half-ripe CITRUS Limon in comparison to the ripe one.