Résumé:
Citrus fruits are recommended components of the human diet due to their enriched composition of bioactive compounds and their health benefits. Phenols are the main constituents of citrus fruits, in particular flavonoids, limonoids and carboxylic acids. These compounds are noteworthy for their presence and potential contribution to the overall composition and bioactivity of citrus fruits. The aim of this study was to assess the antioxidant capacity of Citrus auratiifolia (lime) peel and identify the chemical compounds it contains. The total polyphenol and flavonoid contents of citrus peel hydro-methanolic extract were quantified using the Folin-Ciocalteu method and the aluminum trichloride (AlCl3) colorimetric method, respectively. In addition, antioxidant capacity was assessed using the DPPH radical scavenging method. The results obtained in our study indicate that the hydro-methanol extract of Citrus aurantiifolia peel exhibits significant antioxidant activity. In addition, the peel extract shows high concentrations of total phenolic compounds and flavonoids (105.30±0.002 and 22.31±0.002 mg/100g) respectively. This scavenging effect observed in peel extract can be attributed to its high content of citroflavonoids, which possess the potential to effectively reduce the DPPH radical (126.29±0.007%). In conclusion, consumption of citrus fruit, mainly lime offers a valuable contribution to prevent the onset of various chronic diseases due to their antioxidant power
