Metabolomics of Citrus Fruits: Unlocking their Phytochemical Diversity and Medicinal Potential

Citrus fruits are rich sources of bioactive compounds with important health-promoting properties. This review highlights the use of metabolomics to characterize citrus phytochemicals, its biological activities and their potential applications in functional foods and nutraceuticals. Metabolomics has enabled the identification of diverse citrus metabolites, including flavonoids, phenolic acids, limonoids, coumarins, terpenoids, organic acids, amino acids, and volatile compounds. Mass spectrometry and NMR have provided insights into their distribution across citrus species and tissues, while several metabolites have shown antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, cardioprotective, antidiabetic, and neuroprotective activities. Advances in extraction and encapsulation have further improved the recovery, stability and application of citrus bioactives. Metabolomics offers a valuable approach for elucidating the complex phytochemical diversity and biological potential of citrus fruits. Integrating metabolomic profiling with advanced extraction, stabilization, and delivery technologies can facilitate the effective utilization of citrus bioactives in functional foods and nutraceuticals. However, further quantitative characterization, mechanistic studies, and well-designed human clinical trials are required to validate the health effects of individual metabolites and support their safe and effective application.