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Anthocyanins are natural pigments that give a red, purple, and blue color to many plant, flower, fruit, and vegetable species. Their presence within the genus Citrus was first reported in 1916, and it is well-known that the red color of the flesh and rind of blood (red or pigmented) oranges (Citrus sinensis L. Osbeck) is due to the presence of anthocyanins. They are also present in the young shoots, flowers, and peel of lemon (Citrus limon (L.) Burm. f.), citron (Citrus medica L.), and other citrus species. Since then, the scientific community has expressed increasing interest in studying their profile and distribution, with many published studies focused on the quali-quantitative pattern in the different vegetative tissues belonging to the genus Citrus. Moreover, with the discovery of their relevant antioxidant activity, owing to their ability to capture free radicals, much research has been performed in the last two decades on their radical scavenging power, in vitro and in vivo biological properties, and anticarcinogenic capacity, also focusing attention on their bioavailability for humans. The present work is intended as a comprehensive review of the advances in scientific research on anthocyanin pigments naturally occurring within the genus Citrus, including their natural distribution, antioxidant capacity, bioavailability, and biological value and properties. The scientific evidence herein reported can be used to further increase the knowledge of this class of compounds and represents a valuable and comprehensive contribution to promoting anthocyanin-rich citrus fruit consumption as a healthy dietary habit.

The consumption of plant-based food is important for health promotion, especially regarding the prevention and management of chronic diseases such as diabetes. We investigated the effects of a lemon extract (LE), containing ≥20.0% total flavanones and ≥1.0% total hydroxycinnamic acids, on insulin signaling in murine 3T3-L1 adipocytes treated with TNF-α, which was used to mimic in vitro the insulin resistance condition that characterizes diabetes mellitus. Our results showed LE increased PPARγ, GLUT4 and DGAT-1 levels, demonstrating the potential of this lemon extract in the management of insulin resistance conditions associated with TNF-α pathway activation. LE treatment further decreased the release of interleukin 6 (IL-6) and restored triglyceride synthesis, which is the main feature of a healthy adipocyte.