Full Citation: "OBJECTIVE: To study the effect of Citrus aurantium extract on liver antioxidant ability in experimental diabetic mice. METHODS: Experimental diabetic mice were treated with C. aurantium extract (C. aurantium 5, 10, 15g/ kg) respectively. After 5 weeks, the general status, liver antioxidant ability and the change of livers histological were observed. RESULTS: Experimental diabetic mice groups were treated with C. aurantium extract in comparison with the experimental diabetic mice group. It was indicated that the levels of blood glucose were significantly reduced (P < 0.05), the levels of glutathione (GSH) were remarkably increased (P < 0.05). The activities of glutathione peroxidase (GSHPx), the contents of malon dialdehyde (MDA) and nitric oxide (NO) were significantly reduced (P < 0.01). The activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) were increased in liver. The liver histological damages of experimental diabetic mice treated with C. aurantium extract were abated in comparison with the experimental diabetic mice under light microscope observation. CONCLUSION: It was suggested that the extract of C. aurantium could effectively enhance the liver antioxidant function and decrease hepatocyte damages."

Full Citation: "Potential cancer preventive constituents of sour orange (Citrus aurantium L.) were isolated and identified from EtOAc extract of sour orange. Crude EtOAc extract was purified using silica gel column chromatography to isolate two putative bioactive compounds. The purity of the isolated compounds was analyzed by TLC and HPLC. The structures of the two compounds were identified by one-dimensional ((1)H, (13)C) and two-dimensional ((1)H-H and (1)H-(13)C) NMR experiments as isolimonic acid and a novel compound named as ichanexic acid. Stereochemical assignment of the protons for both the compounds was made using one-dimensional nuclear Overhauser enhancement (nOe) experiments. The identified compounds were tested for the inhibition of human colon cancer cells (HT-29) proliferation, apoptosis, and on non-cancerous (COS-1 fibroblast) cells. Cell proliferation, arrest of cell growth, and induction of apoptosis were determined by MTT assay, flow cytometry, and nuclear staining methods, respectively. The MTT assay indicated that both the compounds exhibited differential inhibition at various concentrations. Significant arrest of cell growth by isolimonoic acid was noticed within 24h of treatment on the HT-29 colon cancer cells at a concentration as low as 5.0microM (P=0.005) and by ichanexic acid at 10.0microM (P=0.011). None of the compounds exerted any apparent cytostatic effects on the non-cancerous COS-1 fibroblast cells. Both the compounds exerted nearly 4- to 5-fold increase in the counts of G2/M stage cells at 5microM indicating a potential role in the cell cycle arrest as well as possible lead structures for the development of cancer chemopreventive and therapeutic agents.To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on isolation, identification of isolimonic acid in its native form, and compound 2 was found to a novel and identified as ichanexic acid.."