Characteristics of Flavonoids in Juice and Cluster Analysis of Satsuma Mandarin Germplasms

Abstract

This research was conducted to analyze flavonoids in juice and to investigate correlation between 60 germplasms of satsuma mandarin (Citrus unshiu Marc.) on the basis of the result of flavonoid analysis. Juice of satsuma mandarin contained 6 flavonoids, 2 flavanones such as narirutin and hesperidin, 1 flavone such as rutin and 3 polymethoxylated flavones such as sinensetin, tangeretin and nobiletin. Hesperidin content ranged from 41 to 196 ㎎/L. Narirutin content ranged from 25 to 230 ㎎/L. The average of rutin content was 2.2 ㎎/L but it was not detected in some cultivars. Polymethoxylated flavone which is known as a citrus specific flavonoid, was detected in all germplasms in small quantities. Cluster analysis using R program (Version 3.1.1) was carried out with the results of the flavonoid analysis and harvesting time of satsuma mandarin germplasms. All germplasms were grouped as A, B1 or B2. But all 3 groups contained very early-ripening type, early-ripening type and commonly-ripening type cultivars. This showed there was no correlation between flavonoids in juce and their harvest time.