Grapefruit (Citrus paradisi) is part of the citrus family of fruits and is thought to be a hybrid of sweet orange (Citrus sinensis) and pomelo (Citrus maxima). The first grapefruit tree was discovered in Barbados in the 18th century, and the fruit had yellow pulp with many large seeds at its center. Over time, several varieties have been developed, and today, grapefruits are mostly seedless with pulp ranging from white to reddish pink, depending on the content of lycopene.[1][2][3] The characteristic aroma and bittersweet flavor of grapefruit are thanks to its content of flavonoids, terpenes, furocoumarins, simple sugars, and organic acids.[4]
References
- ^Hung WL, Suh JH, Wang YChemistry and health effects of furanocoumarins in grapefruit.J Food Drug Anal.(2017 Jan)
- ^Cristóbal-Luna JM, Álvarez-González I, Madrigal-Bujaidar E, Chamorro-Cevallos GGrapefruit and its biomedical, antigenotoxic and chemopreventive properties.Food Chem Toxicol.(2018 Feb)
- ^Zheng H, Zhang Q, Quan J, Zheng Q, Xi WDetermination of sugars, organic acids, aroma components, and carotenoids in grapefruit pulps.Food Chem.(2016 Aug 15)
- ^Uckoo RM, Jayaprakasha GK, Balasubramaniam VM, Patil BSGrapefruit (Citrus paradisi Macfad) phytochemicals composition is modulated by household processing techniques.J Food Sci.(2012 Sep)