Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: Citrus unshiu (Satsuma mandarin) is a fruit rich in vitamins, flavonoids, and carotenoids, predominantly cultivated in Korea.Jeju Island accounts for about 97% of mandarin production and nearly 30% of total domestic fruit production.During the flower-thinning process for quality control and price stabilization, large quantities of C. unshiu flowers are discarded, despite their potential as a source of functional materials.This study evaluated the antioxidant, hepatoprotective, antidiabetic, muscle-protective, and antihypertensive activities of C. unshiu flower extract (CFE).The CFE showed no cytotoxicity at concentrations of 25, 50, and 100 μg/mL across the tested cell lines.In HepG2 cells, tert-butyl hydroperoxide-induced oxidative stress reduced cell viability to 35.71%.However, the CFE treatment significantly increased the viability up to 107.56%.Glucose consumption and glycogen content in hepatocytes increased dose-dependently, indicating the antidiabetic potential of CFE.In C2C12 myoblasts, H 2 O 2 -induced oxidative stress decreased cell viability and increased reactive oxygen species production and lipid peroxidation.Treatment with CFE reversed these effects and elevated glutathione levels, suggesting a protective effect against muscle damage.In EA.hy926 cells, CFE improved cell viability under oxidative stress, enhanced nitric oxide production, and suppressed tumor necrosis factor-α expression.These results indicate that CFE may have antihypertensive properties.Taken together, these findings suggest that CFE exerts diverse biological activities and may serve as a promising functional material.
Institution: Chungbuk National University
Language: English
Subfield: Plant Science
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
OpenAlex ID: W4415600829