Physiochemical Juice Characteristics of Various Citrus Species in Syria

Aims: The investigation of some physiochemical juice characteristics of 37 varieties of Citrus genus, maintained in the Department of Citrus Research in Tartous, Syria.
Place and Duration of Study: Laboratory of Molecular Genetic, Faculty of Agriculture, Tishreen University, Lattakia, Syria, from 2011 to 2013.
Methodology: Thirty seven varieties belonging to 4 groups of Citrus genus (Lemon, Sweet orange, Mandarin and Grapefruit) were used in this study. Three trees/variety, and 10 fruits/tree were used in the analysis. Fruits were harvested from trees at mature stage and juice was extracted and promptly used for physicochemical analysis.
The following parameters of fruit quality were evaluated: percentage of juice/fruit, total soluble solids (TSS), pH and titratable acidity (TA) and ascorbic acid (Vitamin C) content.
Results: The varieties produced the highest juice percentage were Meyer of lemon group (58.42%), Balady of sweet orange (57.61%), Ortanique from mandarin (56.10%) and Red blush of grapefruit group (49.41%).
For TSS parameter, Mandarin varieties showed the highest TSS values (9.5-13.9) while Lemon varieties showed the lowest ones (6.11-7.9).
Varieties of Lemon group exhibited the lowest pH values (2.21-2.46) while the highest pH value was detected in sweet orange varieties (5.94).
Percentage of total acidity in citrus juice varied and ranged from 0.08g\100ml in Succary (Sweet orange group) to 5g\100ml in Eureka (Lemon group).
Ascorbic acid (Vitamin C) content showed large variations within and between Citrus groups where the highest value (50.66mg\100ml) was revealed in Clementine while the lowest one (22.52mg\100ml) was found in Nova (Mandarin group).
Conclusion: The citrus varieties grown in Syria showed large variations in their juice physiochemical characteristics between and within Citrus groups. The juice of all varieties was of a good quality on the base of the different studied parameters.