Bitter orange explained

The bitter orange, sour orange, Seville orange, bigarade orange, or marmalade orange is the hybrid citrus tree species Citrus × aurantium, and its fruit. It is native to Southeast Asia and has been spread by humans to many parts of the world. It is a cross between the pomelo, Citrus maxima, and the wild type mandarin orange, Citrus reticulata. The bitter orange is used to make essential oil, used in foods, drinks, and pharmaceuticals. The Seville orange is prized for making British orange marmalade.

Definition

In some proposed systems, the species Citrus × aurantium includes not only the bitter orange proper, but all other hybrids between the pomelo and the wild type mandarin, namely the sweet orange, the grapefruit, and all cultivated mandarins.[1] [2] [3] This article only deals with the bitter orange proper.

History

See also: Citrus taxonomy.

The bitter orange, like many cultivated Citrus species, is a hybrid, in its case of the wild mandarin and pomelo.[4] [5]

The bitter orange spread from Southeast Asia via India and Iran to the Islamic world as early as 700 AD in the Arab Agricultural Revolution.[6] [7] After the Columbian exchange, the pomelo was introduced to the New World, starting in Mexico by 1568.[8]

Botany

Description

The bitter orange has orange fruit with a distinctly bitter or sour taste. The tree has alternate simple leaves on long petioles; there are long thorns on the petiole. The trees require little care and may live for as long as 600 years. It grows in subtropical regions but can tolerate a brief frost.[8]

Pests and diseases

The bitter orange has many of the same pests and diseases as other citrus fruits. Viral diseases include citrus tristeza virus, crinkly leaf virus, and xyloporosis. Among the many fungal diseases are anthracnose, dieback, and heart rot.[8]

Varieties

Among the many related species is Citrus bergamia, the Bergamot orange. This is probably a bitter orange and limetta hybrid; it is cultivated in Italy for the production of bergamot oil, a component of many brands of perfume and tea, especially Earl Grey tea. It is a less hardy plant than other bitter orange varieties.[8]

Uses

Culinary

While the raw pulp is not edible,[11] bitter orange is widely used in cooking. The Seville orange (the usual name in this context) is prized for making British orange marmalade, being higher in pectin than the sweet orange, and therefore giving a better set and a higher yield. Once a year, oranges of this variety are collected from trees in Seville and shipped to Britain to be used in marmalade. However, the fruit is rarely consumed locally in Andalusia.[12] This reflects the historic Atlantic trading relationship with Portugal and Spain; an early recipe for 'marmelet of oranges' was recorded by Eliza Cholmondeley in 1677.[13] Bitter orange—bigarade—was used in all early recipes for duck à l'orange, originally called canard à la bigarade.[14] In Malta too, bitter oranges are used for marmalade.[15] [16]

In Finland, mämmi is a fermented malted rye dough flavoured with ground Seville orange zest.[17] Across Scandinavia, bitter orange peel is used in dried, ground form in baked goods such as Christmas bread[18] and gingerbread.[19] In Greece, the nerántzi is one of the most prized fruits used for spoon sweets.[20] In Adana province, Turkey, bitter orange jam is a principal dessert.[21] Bitter oranges are made into chutneys in India, either in the style of a raita with curds, or roasted, spiced, and sweetened to form a condiment that can be preserved in jars.[22] In Yucatán (Mexico), it is a main ingredient of the cochinita pibil.[23] In Suriname, its juice is used in the well-known dish pom.[24]

An essential oil is extracted from the peel of dried unripe bitter oranges; C. aurantium var. curassaviensis in particular is used in Curaçao liqueur.[8] An oil is pressed from the fresh peel of ripe fruit in many countries and used in ice creams, puddings, sweets, soft and alcoholic drinks, and pharmaceuticals.[8] The flowers are distilled to yield Neroli oil[8] and orange flower water,[25] with similar uses.[8] Neroli oil is also employed in perfumes.[26] The peel of bitter oranges is used as a spice in Belgian Witbier (white beer), for orange-flavored liqueurs such as Cointreau, and to produce bitters such as Oranjebitter.[27] It is a component of Nordic hot spiced wine, glögg.[28]

Rootstock, wood, and soap

The bitter orange is used as a rootstock in groves of sweet orange.[8] The fruit and leaves make lather and can be used as soap.[8] The hard, white or light-yellow wood is used in woodworking and made into baseball bats in Cuba.[8]

Herbal stimulant

Extracts of bitter orange and its peel have been marketed as dietary supplements purported to act as a weight-loss aid and appetite suppressant.[29] Bitter orange contains the tyramine metabolites N-methyltyramine, octopamine, and synephrine, substances similar to epinephrine, which act on the α1 adrenergic receptor to constrict blood vessels and increase blood pressure and heart rate.[30] [31]

Following bans on the herbal stimulant ephedra in the U.S., Canada, and elsewhere, bitter orange has been substituted into "ephedra-free" herbal weight-loss products by dietary supplement manufacturers.[32] Bitter orange is believed to cause the same spectrum of adverse events as ephedra.[33] Case reports have linked bitter orange supplements to strokes,[34] [35] angina,[36] ischemic colitis,[37] and myocardial infarction.[38] The U.S. National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health found "little evidence that bitter orange is safer to use than ephedra."[39]

Drug interactions

See also: Grapefruit–drug interactions.

Bitter orange may have serious grapefruit-like drug interactions with medicines such as statins (to lower cholesterol), nifedipines (to lower blood pressure), some anti-anxiety drugs, and some antihistamines.[40]

External links

Notes and References

  1. Book: Talon . M. . Caruso . M. . Gmitter . F.G. . The Genus Citrus . Elsevier Science . 2020 . 978-0-12-812217-4. p. 69–70
  2. Mabberley . David J. . A classification for edible citrus: an update, with a note on Murraya (Rutaceae) . Journal of Plant Systematics . 6 September 2022 . 25 . 271–284.
  3. Web site: Citrus × aurantium L. . Plants of the World Online . 17 April 2023.
  4. Book: Klein . Joshua D. . 2 . 199–214 . 10.1007/978-94-017-9276-9_10 . Medicinal and Aromatic Plants of the World . 2014 . Medicinal and Aromatic Plants of the Middle-East . 978-94-017-9275-2 . Citron Cultivation, Production and Uses in the Mediterranean Region.
  5. Wu . Guohong Albert . Terol . Javier . Ibanez . Victoria . López-García . Antonio . Pérez-Román . Estela . Borredá . Carles . Domingo . Concha . Tadeo . Francisco R. . Carbonell-Caballero . Jose . Alonso . Roberto . Curk . Franck . Du . Dongliang . Ollitrault . Patrick . Roose . Mikeal L. Roose . Dopazo . Joaquin . Gmitter Jr . Frederick G. . Rokhsar . Daniel . Talon . Manuel . 5 . Genomics of the origin and evolution of Citrus . . 2018 . 554 . 7692 . 311–316 . 10.1038/nature25447 . 29414943 . 2018Natur.554..311W . free . 20.500.11939/5741 . free. and Supplement
  6. Book: Watson, Andrew . Agricultural innovation in the early Islamic world: the diffusion of crops and farming techniques 700-1100 . Cambridge University Press . Cambridge . 2008 . 1983 . 978-0-521-06883-3 . 81.
  7. Book: Trillo San Jose, Carmen . Agua y Paisaje en Granada: Una Herencia de Al-Andalus . DIP. PROV. de Granada . 2004 . 978-8478073528 . Granada, Spain.
  8. Web site: Sour Orange: Citrus aurantium . . 4 November 2024.
  9. Web site: Cadbury Schweppes Reigns Supreme Over Orange Soda Market . Grace . Roger M. . 2006 . metnews.com.
  10. Web site: Curacao . Food.com . 4 November 2024.
  11. Book: Little, Elbert L. . The Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Trees: Western Region . 1994 . 1980 . Knopf . 0394507614 . Chanticleer Press . 510.
  12. Web site: Ortega . Cristina . Apenas se aprovechará la naranja que se recoja en la capital este año . 20minutos Sevilla . 22 January 2007 . 3 November 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110511210751/https://www.20minutos.es/noticia/193691/0/aprovechara/naranja/capital/ . 11 May 2011 . live.
  13. Web site: 20 fascinating facts about marmalade . . 2 November 2024 . 27 February 2015.
  14. Book: Ude, Louis Eustache . The French Cook . John Ebers . 27 Old Bond-Street, London . 6th . 1819 . 212.
  15. Web site: MCA . 2021-04-19 . Orange Marmalade . 2022-07-19 . MCA Malta . en.
  16. Web site: 2021-05-03 . Ċitru f'Malta . 2022-07-19 . Dilettanti tal-Agrikoltura Siġar u Pjanti . en.
  17. Web site: Mämmi . Nordic Recipe Archive . https://web.archive.org/web/20221221045601/http://www.dlc.fi/~marianna/gourmet/mammi.htm . 2022-12-21 . dead.
  18. Web site: Pomeransbröd . Köket.se . 3 November 2024 . sv.
  19. News: Skurna pepparkakor med mandel och pomerans . 3 November 2024 . . 28 November 2015 . sv.
  20. Web site: Gogos . Dora Kitinas . Glyko tou koutaliou (spoon sweets) . Neos Kosmos . 3 November 2024 . 4 July 2012.
  21. Guzeler . Nuray . Yildirim . Cagla . Aridici . Ayse . The Culinary Culture and Traditional Foods of Adana Province . Journal of Agricultural Faculty of Uludag University . 2016 . 30 . Special Issue . 538–545 .
  22. Web site: Mandanna . Sharada . Bitter Orange Chutney . Coorg Tourism Info . 3 November 2024.
  23. Web site: Kennedy . Diana . Presilla . Maricel E. . Rao . Tejal . Cochinita Pibil . New York Times Cooking . 3 November 2024.
  24. Book: Vaneker, Karin . Reimagining Marginalized Foods . Discovering Pom’s Potential . . 1 November 2012 . 10.2307/j.ctt1814g4b.8 . free . 88–108 . j.ctt1814g4b.8. 978-0-8165-0236-3 .
  25. News: Duffy . Nikki . Super Ingredients: Orange Flower Water . . 9 July 2005.
  26. Book: Arctander, Steffen . 1960 . Perfume and Flavor Materials of Natural Origin . 436 . 195168205X.
  27. Web site: Bitter Orange or Seville Orange . Botanic Guardians . 3 November 2024.
  28. Web site: Swedish Christmas Glögg . BBC Food . 3 November 2024.
  29. Sharpe . Patricia A. . Granner . Michelle L. . Conway . Joan M. . Ainsworth . Barbara E. . Dobre . Mirela . Availability of weight-loss supplements: Results of an audit of retail outlets in a southeastern city . Journal of the American Dietetic Association . 106 . 12 . 2045–51 . December 2006 . 17126636 . 10.1016/j.jada.2006.09.014.
  30. Bui . Linda T. . Nguyen . DiemThuy T. . Ambrose . Peter J. . Blood pressure and heart rate effects following a single dose of bitter orange . . 40 . 1 . 53–7 . January 2006 . 16317106 . 10.1345/aph.1G488 . 19625077.
  31. Hess . A.M. . Sullivan . D.L. . Potential for toxicity with use of bitter orange extract and guarana for weight loss . The Annals of Pharmacotherapy . 39 . 3 . 574–5 . March 2005 . 15657116 . 10.1345/aph.1E249 . 28294405.
  32. News: . Bitter Orange Under Scrutiny as New Ephedra . Duenwald . Mary . 2005-10-11 . 2008-11-03.
  33. Jordan . Scott . Murty . Mano . Pilon . Karen . October 2004 . Products containing bitter orange or synephrine: suspected cardiovascular adverse reactions . . 171 . 8 . 993–994 . 15497209 .
  34. Bouchard . Nicole C. . Howland . Mary Ann . Greller . Howard A. . Hoffman . Robert S. . Nelson . Lewis S. . Ischemic stroke associated with use of an ephedra-free dietary supplement containing synephrine . Mayo Clinic Proceedings . 80 . 4 . 541–5 . April 2005 . 15819293 . 10.4065/80.4.541 . free.
  35. Holmes . R.O. . Tavee . J. . Vasospasm and stroke attributable to ephedra-free xenadrine: case report . . 173 . 7 . 708–10 . July 2008 . 18700609 . 10.7205/milmed.173.7.708 . free.
  36. 10.4065/81.4.545 . Gange . Christopher A. . Madias . Christopher . Felix-Getzik . Erika M. . Weintraub . Andrew R. . Estes . N.A. Mark . Variant angina associated with bitter orange in a dietary supplement . . 81 . 4 . 545–8 . April 2006 . 16610576 . free.
  37. Sultan . Shahnaz . Spector . Jeremy . Mitchell . Robert M. . Ischemic colitis associated with use of a bitter orange-containing dietary weight-loss supplement . Mayo Clinic Proceedings . 81 . 12 . 1630–1 . December 2006 . 17165643 . 10.4065/81.12.1630 . free.
  38. Thomas . John E. . Munir . Jamalah A. . McIntyre . Peter Z. . Ferguson . Michael A. . STEMI in a 24-Year-Old Man after Use of a Synephrine-Containing Dietary Supplement: A Case Report and Review of the Literature . Tex. Heart Inst. J. . 2009 . 36 . 6 . 586–590 . 20069086 . 2801940.
  39. Web site: . Bitter Orange . April 2008 . 2008-11-03.
  40. Grapefruit Juice and Some Drugs Don't Mix . FDA . 14 July 2021.

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