Nomilinic acid

While most of the limonoids of Citrus have been isolated from seeds, several occur in detectable amounts in other parts of the fruit. Minor amounts of deacetylnomilin, nomilin, obacunone, de-acetylnomilinic acid and nomilinic acid were identified in extracts of navel orange peel (37). 17-Dehydrolimonoate A-ring lactone was isolated from peel and juice of navel oranges (38) and nomilin has been reported to occur in grapefruit juice and juice vesicles (39). The only Citrus limonoids known to be bitter are limonin, VI, XII, obacunoic acid and IX (3). 

Limonoids are a group of chemically related triterpene derivatives found in the plant families, Rutaceae and Meliaceae. Among 37 limonoids reported to occur in citrus and hybrids, four are known to be bitter. They are limonin, nomilin, ichangin and nomilinic acid. Limonin is the major cause of citrus juice bitterness and is widely distributed. Nomilin is also known to contribute to limonoid bitterness in grapefruit juice (4). 

The isolation of obacunol (68) from Lovoa trichilioides provides a second example of the occurrence of a ring-A-cleaved tetranortriterpenoid in the Meli-aceae (see Vol. 1, p. 176). The acid limonoids present in grapefruit seeds include" " nomilinic acid (69) and deacetylnomilinic acid (70) together with the known compounds, iso-obacunoic acid (71) and epi-iso-obacunoic acid (72). The full paper on spathelin (73) has appeared. ... 

Limonoids are a group of chemically related triterpene derivatives found in the Rutaceae and Meliaceae families. There are two groups of limonoids the aglycones and their corresponding glucosides. A total of 36 limonoid aglycones have been isolated from Citrus and its hybrids (Table 1). Five of them are bitter in taste -limonin, nomilin, nomilinic acid, obacunoic acid and ichangin (Fig. 1). In citrus juices, limonin is the major cause of delayed bitterness. 

Nomilin the general biosynthetic precursor of all limonoids, is biosynthesized via the terpenoid pathway from acetate and/or mevalonate in stems. Nomilin is then translocated to other plant tissues, including leaves, seeds, and fruit tissues, where it is converted to the other limonoids independently (Hasegawa et al. 1986 Ou et al. 1988). In most citrus species and hybrids, nomilin is converted to obacunone and then to obacunoate. Obacunaote is then converted to limonin probably via the intermediate ichangin. Nomilinic acid is the predominant acidic limonoid in citrus, but it does not seem to be directly involved in the biosynthetic pathways of major limonoids. 

Nomilinic acid 12. Obacunoic acid 14. Isoobacunoic acid 16. Isolimonic acid 11. Deacetylnomilinic acid 13. Trans-obacunoic acid 15. Epiisoobacunoic acid 17. 19-Hydroxydeacetylnomilinic acid... 

Nomilin 17-beta-D-glucopyranoside and nomilinic acid 17-beta-D-glucopy-ranoside Reversed phase C18 column, detection 210 nm Phosphoric acid (3mM) acetonitrile Citrus [87]... 

The intact fruits do not contain bitter limonin, but rather a nonbitter precursor, limonoate A-ring lactone (8). When juice is extracted, this nonbitter precursor is gradually converted to limonin under acidic conditions and the conversion is accelerated by the action of limonin D-ring lactone hydrolase, which has been isolated from citrus (9). The bitterness due to nomilin in juices most likely develops in a manner similar to that of limonin bitterness, but this has not yet been directly proven. However, the contribution of nomilin to juices is minor. It occurs mainly In grapefruit juices (4). 

Inhibition of Limonoid Biosynthesis by Auxins. Auxins are potent inhibitors of nomilin biosynthesis in citrus seedlings (31). For instance, up to 91% inhibition was observed when 10 ppm of indoleacetic acid was fed to the stem of a lemeon seedling two days prior to and two days following feeding of 25 pCi of 14-C acetate (Table 1). Other auxins tested include 1-naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA), indolepropionic acid, indolebutyric acid, 3-indole acetonitrile, ethyl indole-3-acetate, 3-indoleacrylic acid, 3-(2-hydroxyethyl)indole, indole-2-carboxylic acid and 2,3,4-trichlorophenoxyacetic acid. They were all very effective. 

Table 1. Inhibition of Nomilin Biosynthesis by Indoleacetic Acid in Young Lemon Seedlings...

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