Citrus fruit: Classification, Value Addition, Nutritional and Medicinal Values, and Relation with Pandemic and Hidden Hunger

Abstract

Citrus fruits belong to the Rutaceae family, which comprises sweet oranges, sour and bitter oranges, mandarins, lemons, limes, grapefruit, pomelo, citrons, etc, and a wide range of hybrids and cybrids. The presence of vitamin and flavonoid enhance the nutritional and medicinal properties. Hesperidin, found in citrus fruits is one of the major flavonoids which binds with the active protein site of the severe acute respiratory syndrome, SARS-CoV-2 (Corona Virus-2). Citrus also helps to boost immunity. Fruits cannot be kept for a longer period under normal conditions due to postharvest decay which causes heavy economic losses of up to 30% of the total production and can go up to 50% in underdeveloped countries. This post-harvest loss causes non-utilization and wastage of citrus and the world need nutritional security to prevent the pandemic and hidden hunger. So, it is required to process the fruit in the form of canned products, squash, juice, juice concentrate, puree, essential oil, pickle, vinegar, etc and enriched & fortified products such as fortified vermicelli or cookies with orange peel powder can help to enhance immunity and prevent respiratory issues for utilization of citrus. The by-product obtained after processing can be used to extract the essential oil and pectin from the waste. This value addition, enrichment, and fortification help the citrus to reach the people for consumption and develop immunity. Hence, it could help to reduce the activity against the COVID virus; and help to resolve the issue of hidden hunger.