Effects of aging on the phytochemical profile and antioxidative activity of Pericarpium Citri Reticulatae ‘Chachiensis’

Abstract

The dried and aged pericarps of Citri Reticulatae are popular edible and medicinal products in southeast and eastern Asia. To investigate the effects of aging on Pericarpium Citri Reticulatae ‘Chachiensis’ (PCR-Chachiensis), free and bound phenolic compounds from representative PCR-Chachiensis were extracted and studied. During aging, bound phenolics and flavonoids were dramatically elevated and their antioxidant activity increased, as revealed by different antioxidative analysis methods. The bound fraction intensified the contribution to the total benefit of aged PCR-Chachiensis, which exhibited higher phenolic and flavonoid content, and superior antioxidant activity. Based on the phenolic composition profile, consisting of eleven characteristic phenolics, multivariate data analysis distinguished samples and attributed the special qualities of aged PCR-Chachiensis to the accumulation of bound phenolic compounds, a fraction previously ignored in research, but typically consumed as a food ingredient. The accumulation of bound phenolic compounds is of great interest for citrus peel utilization as nutraceutical and functional food products.