As reported on "The World's Healthiest Foods" website:
Phytonutrients with Antioxidant and Antibiotic Effects
Like many of the fruits and vegetables featured on our website, lemons and limes contain unique flavonoid compounds that have antioxidant and anti-cancer properties. Of special interest in limes have been flavonoids called flavonol glycosides, including many kaempferol-related molecules. While these flavonoids have been shown to stop cell division in many cancer cell lines, they are perhaps most interesting for their antibiotic effects. In several villages in West Africa where cholera epidemics had occurred, the inclusion of lime juice during the main meal of the day was determined to have been protective against the contraction of cholera. (Cholera is a disease triggered by activity of the bacteria called Vibrio cholera).
Researchers quickly began to experiment with the addition of lime juice to the sauce eaten with rice, and in this role, lime juice was also found to have a strong protective effect against cholera. Several other fascinating research studies on the healing properties of lemons and limes have shown that cell cycles-including the decision a cell makes about whether to divide (called mitosis) or die (apoptosis-are altered by lime juice, as are the activities of special immune cells called monocytes. In addition to their unique phytonutrient properties, lemons and limes are an excellent source of vitamin C, one of the most important antioxidants in nature....