Physicochemical characteristics and volatile profile of novel lemon varieties, Minimon and Jeramon

Although most lemons are imported into Korea, their consumption is increasing. Development of domestic varieties of Jeramon and Minimon is currently underway in an effort to meet the increasing demand for fresh lemons. In this study, an analysis of the physicochemical characteristics of Jeramon and Minimon, including their flavor components and antioxidant properties, was conducted. The results revealed that these new varieties of Korean lemon can be regarded as good sources of antioxidants and phytochemicals. Compared to Sunkist, the most consumed lemon variety in Korea, Minimon contained more than twice as much β-cryptoxanthin, and the content of L-ascorbic acid was more than three-four-fold higher in both Minimon and Jeramon. In addition, results from measurement of DPPH and ABTS radical scavenging activities indicated that Jeramon extract exhibited the highest antioxidant activity. In the volatile profile analysis, the profiles of volatile components showed high similarity among the three lemon samples, and the composition ratio was largely dominated by terpenoids. A markedly higher ratio of d-limonene and thymol was detected in the Minimon variety compared with that in the other two varieties. Collectively, the findings from this study on Korean lemon varieties provide a basis as well as valuable guidance for breeding domestic lemon varieties.