Lemons high in nobiletin help improve metabolism

Modern people pay attention to health and wellness, so the market is flooded with various health foods. In order to allow Taiwan's agricultural products to catch up with this trend and maximize their value, the Kaohsiung Agricultural Improvement Station of the Council of Agriculture, Executive Yuan, has invested in the development of related health products for "Hirami lemon", hoping that the public can reduce the risk of metabolic syndrome and brain degeneration through dietary health care with natural plant polyphenols.

"Flat lemon" is a citrus fruit native to Taiwan, also known as "Taiwan fragrant lemon" or "mountain orange". (Photo courtesy of the Council of Agriculture)

"Flat lemon" is a plant native to Taiwan, also known as "Taiwan fragrant lemon" or "mountain orange". It was first discovered in eastern Taiwan and Okinawa, Japan. It is rich in polymethoxylated flavones (PMF) such as nobiletin and tangeretin. The dried peel of Citrus complanatus contains nobiletin and tangeretin at 10.6 to 29.8 and 5.6 to 9.8 mg/g, respectively, making it a fruit with a relatively high PMF content among Taiwan's citrus species.

After the peel of the "Flat Lemon" is dried, rich nobiletin and tangeretin can be extracted to reduce the risk factors of metabolism and brain degeneration. (Photo courtesy of the Council of Agriculture)

The director of the Kaohsiung District Agricultural Improvement Station said that the physiological functions and bioavailability of tangeretin and nobiletin in the flat lemon are quite high. In addition to reducing metabolic risk factors related to obesity, hyperglycemia, and hypertension, their effectiveness in improving brain degenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease and Parkson's disease has also been gradually verified.