Phytochemical screening, proximate composition and antioxidant activities of Citrus germplasm of Assam, India

The north-eastern region of India is regarded as the center of origin of Citrus and is known for having a rich diversity of this plant. Citrus is widely consumed throughout the world because of its high antioxidant and nutritional content. The presence of different phytochemicals and bioactive compounds makes Citrus a favourable supplement for humans. Therefore, a study was undertaken to analyze different phytochemicals, proximate and antioxidant properties of 13 different Citrus germplasms from Assam, India. The results showed Citrus reticulata (C1) possessing the highest antioxidant activities and C. maxima var. white pulp (C2) having the highest protein content (2.85%). The proximate parameters were also found to be in a good range which suggests that Citrus spp. are nutritionally important fruits. The highest phenol content of C. assamensis (C8) (2.15 µg/ml GAE) is an indication of having a good source of antioxidants. In terms of biochemical properties, C. jambhiri (C6) was found to possess the highest saponin (1.93%) and tannin (1.24 mg/g) content. The result of the ANOVA with Duncan’s multiple range test (p