BIOCHEMICAL BASIS OF BITTERNESS IN CITRUS-FRUIT JUICES AND BIOTECH APPROACHES FOR DEBITTERING

This review discusses different facets of the subject of bitterness in , and debittering of, citrus juices. For this purpose, the tone is set up by giving an account of the biochemical properties of naringin, re sponsible for ''immediate'' bitterness, and of limonin, responsible fo r ''delayed'' bitterness. Their structures are ellucidated, and enzyme s participating in their catabolic pathways are assigned. Thereafter, methods used to determine bitterness, based on the principles of color imetry, chromatography, and biochemistry, are discussed, including the ir advantages and disadvantages. Finally, different physicochemical an d biotechnological approaches for debittering are discussed.