Bioflavonoids are natural-origin bioactive polyphenolic compounds and are the most common group of polyphenols present in plants, fruits and vegetables.

In the Genus Citrus, the most common bioflavonoids are naringin and hesperidin. They occur mostly in the peel of some citrus such as Seville bitter orange, sweet orange, grapefruit, lemon…, although they may also be present to a lesser extent in their pulps, juices, leaves, seeds and flowers.

The proportion these compounds are found in each citrus depends on the variety, the state of ripening of the fruit and the climatic conditions to which it has been exposed.

Thanks to the multitude of pharmacological activities and beneficial properties of bioflavonoids, there is a growing interest in the pharmaceutical and food industries for their incorporation as functional ingredients in various applications: nutraceutical supplements, pharmaceutical products, human food and animal feed.

This citrus flavonoid is considered responsible for the bitterness of the fruits in which it is found. Due to this, it is widely used in food and carbonated beverage industries.

Also, it is incorporated in the formulation of personal care products, cosmetics and perfumery. (Giannuzzo et al., 2000).

Natural flavonoids have specific physicochemical and physiological characteristics that give them a variety of functional properties.

For example, naringin has different biological activities and pharmacological effects (Yin et al., 2015) that help to reduce the risk of different diseases.

Like the rest of flavonoids, naringin has excellent antioxidant properties that promote healthy ageing. As it has been shown in different in vitro and in vivo studies, they may inhibit the production of different types of free radicals, reactive oxygen species and oxidase enzymes, reducing oxidative stress. (1)

These compounds are also known for their intervention in suppressing inflammatory processes (Jung and Sang, 2014) and for their antimicrobial activity (Céliz et al., 2011).

It differs from other bioflavonoids because of its bioactivity in the regulation of heart rhythm, its cardioprotective effect (Rani et al., 2013) and the ability to improve the lipid profile(Chanet et al., 2012), thanks to its ability to reduce levels of LDL cholesterol and triglycerides in the blood, in turn increasing HDL cholesterol levels. All of this contributes to the control of blood pressure and the prevention of the appearance of atherosclerosis.

In addition, it has been shown antidiabetic properties (Shen W et al., 2018) and that it promotes thermogenesis (Silver HJ et al., 2011), which makes it an ideal ingredient in dietary supplement formulations to promote health, and oriented to the loss of body fat and weight.

In addition, based on the multitude of beneficial and healthy properties, it has become an ingredient of choice by food and beverage industries which take care of health.

Bordas, since its creation in 1922, has focused its efforts on obtaining and extracting ingredients from natural sources in order to satisfy our customers with reliable and effective products.

In recent years, the market demands more and more for effective functional ingredients obtained from natural sources.

The natural environment and climatic conditions of the Mediterranean Arch, with many hours of sunshine, boost the development of high concentrations of citrus flavonoids in the fruits.

To cover this growingly need, Bordas extracts the citrus bioflavonoids guaranteeing a sustainable development, which has become one of the most demanded skills and a success of the company.

Our R&D&i department has developed in our facilities our own extraction and purification processes using the latest technology on its own. This method allows Bordas to obtain an excellent performance in the extraction of high-purity-and-quality naringin from natural sources, such as grapefruit peel.

Bordas’s citrus bioflavonoid portfolio offers flavonoids obtained from other fruits besides grapefruit such as: bitter orange, sweet orange… In our company, each fruit is analysed and selected previously for its appearance and optimal state.

Among these high-quality products that have various pharmacological properties and activities, you can find:

Bordas complies with national and international requirements that guarantee the quality of our products and processes that are carried out in our facilities.

In addition, in our R+D+i departments we carry out different research projects in which other research centres and universities collaborate closely, with the aim of answering the needs and solving the problems faced by our sector and those of our customers.

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