COMPARISON OF POMELO (CITRUS MAXIMA) GROWN IN CHINA AND THAILAND

Highlights

• China is the largest producer of pomelo globally.

• Chinese pomelos are adapted to subtropical climates and Thai pomelos to tropical climates.

• Guanxi pomelo is a popular cultivar in China and Thong Dee is the most popular in Thailand.

• Naringin is the most abundant flavonoid in Chinese and Thai pomelos.

• Fruity, sweet, sour, juicy and overall flavor attributes are important in consumer preference.

Abstract

Pomelo is a member of the genus Citrus that is a key contributor to the breeding of modern citrus cultivars. China is the largest producer of pomelo and one of the top five pomelo exporting countries. Pomelos from Thailand are also well-known for their excellent quality and flavor and are ranked in the top ten export countries. This review introduces pomelo planting locations and conditions in China and Thailand. The characteristics and qualities of some commercial pomelo cultivars in China and Thailand are summarized to introduce them to international consumers and to document their similarities and dissimilarities. Data on bioactive compounds and antioxidant capacity are also included for most Chinese and Thai pomelos to highlight how they differ in this aspect because consumers are increasingly interested in healthier foods. In addition, the sensory perception in terms of aroma, flavor, texture and taste attributes and consumer perspective and preferences are discussed.

Graphical abstract

Keywords

climate / commercial cultivars / fruit characteristics / lycopene / naringin / sensory evaluation

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the National Key Research and Development Program of China (2018YFD1000100), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (31925034, 31860536, and 31872052), and the fundamental research funds for the central universities. We thank Dr. Taveesak Sangudom, the Director of the Academic Section, the Horticultural Research Institute, Department of Agriculture, Thailand for his suggestions and information regarding Thai pomelo cultivars and cultivation.

Compliance with ethics guidelines

Warangkana Makkumrai, Yue Huang, and Qiang Xu declare that they have no conflict of interest or financial conflicts to disclose. This article does not contain any studies with human or animal subjects performed by any of the authors.

RIGHTS & PERMISSIONS

The Author(s) 2021. Published by Higher Education Press. This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0)