Received: 7 July, 2009. Accepted: 9 December, 2009. Invited Mini-Review Fresh Produce ©2010 Global Science Books Acid Limes. A Review Fernando Rivera-Cabrera 1* • Mónica Ponce-Valadez 1 • Fernando Díaz de León Sánchez 1 • Angel Villegas-Monter 2 • Laura J. Pérez-Flores 1 1 Department of Health Sciences, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana, Mexico, D. F., 09340, Mexico 2 Department of Fruticulture, Colegio de Postgraduados Montecillo, Texcoco-Mexico, 56230, Mexico Corresponding author: * frc@xanum.uam.mx ABSTRACT For countries with tropical and subtropical climates, like Mexico, the commercialization of fresh horticultural products and their processed by products represent an important economical source. In recent years, Mexico has become one of the main citrus producing countries in the world. At the moment, Mexico is ranked as the main worldwide lime producer. There are two kinds of acid limes, the small-fruited Mexican (Citrus aurantifolia Swingle) type, and the large-fruited Persian (Citrus latifolia Tanaka) lime, which is triploid and therefore seedless. Extensive research exists on citrus fruits. Nevertheless, there is not compiled information about lime fruits. The purpose of this paper is to review the most recent literature of lime fruits focusing on their main characteristics, chemical composition, nutritional value, maturity indicators, quality indices, main destination markets, pre and postharvest factors that affects the fruit quality, physiological disorders and diseases. _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Keywords: Citrus aurantifolia Swingle, Citrus latifolia Tanaka, citrus fruit, physiological disorders Abbreviations: COPELP, Council of Producers and Exporters of Persian lime (for its abbreviation in Spanish); CTV, citrus tristeza virus; EUREPGAP (Euro-Retailer Produce Working Group and Good Agricultural Practices); GAP, good agricultural practices; SEB, stylar-end breakdown; SNICS, National Service for Seed Inspection and Certification (for its abbreviation in Spanish) CONTENTS INTRODUCTION...................................................................................................................................................................................... 116 GENERAL MORPHOLOGY .................................................................................................................................................................... 117 THE PRINCIPAL VARIETIES OF ACID LIMES AND THEIR CHARACTERISTICS .......................................................................... 117 ECONOMICAL IMPORTANCE ............................................................................................................................................................... 117 Production of acid limes in Mexico ....................................................................................................................................................... 117 CHEMICAL COMPOSITION AND NUTRITIONAL VALUE ................................................................................................................ 118 Antioxidant capacity.............................................................................................................................................................................. 118 HARVEST MATURITY INDICATORS AND QUALITY INDICES FOR ACID LIMES........................................................................ 118 Destination markets ............................................................................................................................................................................... 118 EFFECT OF PREHARVEST FACTORS ON QUALITY AND POSTHARVEST BEHAVIOR ............................................................... 118 Effect of rootstock ................................................................................................................................................................................. 118 Effect of pruning.................................................................................................................................................................................... 119 GOOD AGRICULTURAL PRACTICES (GAP) AND SAFETY .............................................................................................................. 119 PHYSIOLOGICAL DISORDERS AND DISEASES IN ACID LIMES .................................................................................................... 119 Chilling injury ....................................................................................................................................................................................... 119 Treatments to ameliorate chilling injury ................................................................................................................................................ 119 Molecular basis of chilling injury and chilling tolerance....................................................................................................................... 120 Oil spotting (oleocellosis) ...................................................................................................................................................................... 120 Stylar-end breakdown ............................................................................................................................................................................ 120 Diseases of acid limes............................................................................................................................................................................ 120 HARVESTING, FIELD HANDLING AND PACKING HOUSE OPERATIONS ..................................................................................... 120 CONCLUSIONS ........................................................................................................................................................................................ 121 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ....................................................................................................................................................................... 121 REFERENCES........................................................................................................................................................................................... 121 _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ INTRODUCTION Contrary to what it is thought (due to the place that Mexico holds on world production); acid limes were not originated in Mexico or in the American continent. There are historical reports that consider that lime originated in the Asian con- tinent, in Malaysia, from where it was introduced to North Africa and Europe (mainly to Spain) by the Arabs (Cooper and Chapot 1977; Eckert and Eaks 1989). Acid limes were brought to Mexico during the Spanish colonization acquiring an important place in the national citriculture. The term “citrus” is used to designate several fruits. However, due to the similarities that they present, there is confusion about these fruits classification. It has been suggested that there are six genera that conform the true citrus group: Citrus, Fortunella, Poncirus, Microcitrus, Eremocitrus and Clyma- nia; these genera are characterized by having fruits with a juicy pulp composed by numerous vesicles that fill the space in the fruit segments that is not taken up by the seeds. From these genera, only three have commercial rele- ®