C. medica cv Diamante peel chemical composition and influence on glucose homeostasis and metabolic parameters.

This study evaluated the in vitro inhibition of carbohydrate-hydrolysing enzymes, the stimulation of insulinsecretion, and the in vivo metabolic effects in mice of Citrus medica L. cv Diamante peel extract. Thequantitative analysis of selected phytochemicals were determined to investigate their relationship withthe biological activities. Citrus extract exhibited an inhibitory activity against both a-amylase and a-glucosidasewith IC50 values of 258.7 and 263.2 lg/ml, respectively. Measurements of the effects of peelextract on the mouse insulinoma MIN6 b-cells indicated that it did exert direct stimulatory effects onthe exocytotic release of insulin in a concentration-dependent manner. The supplementation of the C.medica cv Diamante was able to reduce plasma glucose (GLU) concentration and lowered the levels ofplasma cholesterol (COL) and triglycerides (TG). The obtained results underline the potential health benefitsas a result of consuming C. medica cv Diamante and suggest that it could be used as new potentialsource with functional properties for food or nutraceutical products.