Hesperidin is a dihydroflavonoid compound found in citrus fruits with a variety of pharmacological effects and health benefits.
1. Antioxidant: Hesperidin is used as a natural antioxidant in foods due to its antioxidant properties, which helps extend the shelf life of foods and maintain their flavor and nutritional value.
2. Food additives: Hesperidin can be used as a food additive to increase the content of flavonoids in foods, providing health benefits such as improved cardiovascular health and metabolism.
3. Functional food development: Hesperidin’s multiple biological activities, such as anti-inflammatory, anti-diabetic, and anti-cancer activities, make it an important ingredient in the development of functional foods.
4. Food packaging: Hesperidin extracted from citrus peels is used in food packaging due to its antibacterial properties, which helps inhibit the growth of microorganisms in foods and keep foods fresh.
5. Feed and animal nutrition: Hesperidin can also be used in animal feed to improve the nutritional intake and health level of animals.
6. Improve food quality: The addition of hesperidin can improve the quality of food. For example, adding lemon peel powder to cakes can reduce the peroxide content and increase the hardness of cakes, while having little effect on sensory quality.