Lemons are an important nutritional crop that belong to the Rutacaea family of plants. Whilst lemons are best known for their bitter and sharp tasting fruit, many parts of the plant can be evidenced to have medicinal effects including the leaves, stem, flowers and root. One of the main health effects of lemons comes from their content of flavonoids, which are mainly composed of the subgroup flavonoids. Flavanones may have anticancer, antiviral, antidiabetic, antibacterial and antifungal effects. One reason for these effects is the high antioxidant capacity of flavanones, which can regulate gene expression and cell behaviour by controlling the oxidative status of the cell. In particular, flavanones may regulate enzyme activity and cell proliferation. In plants, flavanones are known to inhibit pathogenic invasion, and this explains their antibacterial, antifungal and antiviral effects in humans and animals. The high fibre content of the fruit likely also contributes significantly to the overall health effects of lemons.
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