CITRUS

SYSTEMATIC POSITION

Kingdom : plantae

Phylum : magnoliophyta

Class : magnoliopsida

Order : sapindales

Family : rutaceae

Subfamily : aurantioideae

Genus : citrus

INTRODUCTION

Citrus fruits are all members of the genus citrusbelonging to the family Rutaceae.

These fruits are rich in vitamin-C and are known for their sweet taste and refereshing qualities.

In India, this group of fruits comes next to mango and banana.

Citrus is a native of south east asia.

BOTANICAL

CHARACTERISTICS

Citrus species are much branched

evergreen trees growing upto 4-8m.

o These aromatic trees bear alternative unifoliately compound leaves with numerous gland dots.

o The leaves are some what leathery in texture.

o Spines arises from the axis of leaves.

o Petioles are in general winged, except in lemon and citron.

o Flowers are born on axial or terminal cymes.

o The inflorescence produces both bisexual flowers and rudimentary pistilate flowers.

o The fruits are hespiridium with five locules.

HESPIRIDIUM

Hespiridium is a fleshy fruit

that develops from a,multicarpillary,

syncarpous, superior ovary.

It is differentiated into an outer epicarp, a middle membraneous mesocarp and an inner divided into endocarp.

1. Epicarp - it is a thick and leathery with many gland dots.

2. Mesocarp - it is a white spongy portion found attached to inner surface of the epicarp.

3. Endocarp - is the edible portion, which is composed of segmented carpel walls and numerous swollen hairs called papillae. These papillae attached to the carpel wall by short stalks.

THE SEVEN COMMERCIALLY IMPORTANT

CITRUS FRUIT CROPS

Citrus fruit Scientific name

1. Sweet orange C.sinensis

2. Mandarin orange C.reticulata

3. Limes C. aurantifolia

4. Lemon C. limon

5. Pummelo C.grandis

6. Grape fruit C.paradisi

7. Sour orange C.aurantium

SWEET ORANGE

This is a medium-sized tree whose fruits are sub-globose to oval shaped and orange coloured.

The skin is firmly adhered to the carpel segments.

The seeds are polyembryonic.

They are mainly grown in Punjab, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Rajasthan.

MANDARIN ORANGE

This is also known as Tongerin orange or Loose-skinned orange.

It is subglobose in shape and bright yellow in colour.

The skin can be easily peeled off to separate the flakes of sweet pulp inside.

There are 10-14 segments in each fruit.

Coorg orange, nagpuri santra, khasi, desi, emperor, sikkimand kinnow are the important commercial varieties of mandarin grown in India.

LIMES

The fruits are globose and green, which turn yellow on ripening.

The fruit skin is thin but tightly adhered to the fakes.

The fruit juice is rich in ascorbic acid (vit C) so that it is sour in taste.

Hence, it is used in pickles, refreshing drinks, cosmetics, citric acid, etc.

PKM-1, Periyakulam, Kayankulam, Kagzilime etc. are important lime varieties being grown in Tamilnadu and Kerala.

LEMON

This is a medium sized, oval-shaped fruit that is bitter and sour in taste.

The fruits have a thick rough rind and a characteristic apical pappila.

The skin is green or yellow and the central core is some what solid and juicy.

The juice contains 5% citric acid, 5% sugar, 50% vit-C.

Sevelle, Malta, Mayor, Eureka, Rajamundhry etc. are commercial cultivers of lemons grown in South India.

PUMMELO

The fruits are as large as the size of human head.

They have a pleasant flavour which is either sour nor bitter.

They are subglobose to pyriform in shape.

The rind is thick and spongy.

The flesh may be white o pink or red depending upon the variety.

GRAPE FRUIT It is looks like a pummelo fruit, but has yellowish fruit rind and flesh.

It has a sweet juice with slight bitter taste.

The central core opens at maturity, which is unique feature of grapefruit.

Marsha seedless, Thompson seedless, Ruby and Webb are important cultivars of grape fruit.

SOUR ORANGE

It looks like sweet orange but more sour than the sweet orange.

It is used in making soft drinks.

It is suscptible to tristeze virus and nematodes.

AREA OF CULTIVATION

All cultivars of citrus come up well in the tropical and subtropical regions of the world.

They have been grown in india, china, Europe, west indies, Mexico, Africa, Australia, Japan, Egypt, brazil, America etc.

The USA is the largest producer of citrus fruits, which accounts for about 40% of total citrus production in the world.

In india citrus fruits are commercially grown in Karnataka, Maharashtra, Tamil nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Assam and west Bengal .

Now nearly 4,54,162 hectare area of india is under citrucultivation, leading to the production of 37,98,271 tonnes of citrus fruits per year.

Manadarins, sweet oranges, limes and lemons are grown in commercial scale in india.

SOIL AND CLIMATE

Although citrus can grow well in almost all types of soils, it comes up well in deep well-drained loamy soils.

The soil pH should be within the range of 5.5-7.5.

Extreme acidic and alkaline levels are found to be unfit for citrus cultivation.

Frost free tropical and subtropical climates are in general best for the cultivation of various citrus species.

However, each species slightly differs in its requirment of specific climate to come up well in the area.

High rainfall and high relative humidity in the atmosphere are found to be unlikely for citrus cultivation, as they are suitable for spreading of diseases.

Mandarins grow well and give good yield in the areas of submountain hill tracts at 500- 1500m elevation where the rainfall is ranging from 74 to 250 cm and the temperature is ranging from 6 degree celcius.

the winter shoul be mild and in the summer there should be no strong hot wind, which causes drying of buds. Such climate is found in Coorg (Karnataka), Wynad, Nilgris,shervaroys (Tamil Nadu), etc.

Sweet oranges perform well in areas having dry climate.

The rainfall should be 50-75 cm during June-September.

The areas should have well-defined summer and winter seaasons.

Likewise, Limes and Lemons also prefer dry climate of upto 1000m elevation.

The area should have moderate atmospheric humidity and llowwind velocity.

HARVESTING

Citrus fruit attain full maturity in 90-120 days after flowering.

They are harvested by hand picking.

mandarins are harvested just before ripening, when the fruit develops orange colour.

Sweet oranges and harvested as soon as the fruits develop yellow or pale colour,

Limes and lemons are harvested when the fruits have attained maximum size but still green in colour.

Sweet oranges can be stored at room temperature for about 30 days, but mandarins can only be preserved for one week at room temperature.

However, cold storage help us to preserve ripe fruits upto 3-4 months.

NUTRITIONAL & HEALTH BENEFITS OF CITRUS

FRUITS

Citrus is most commonly thought of as a good source of vitamin C.

However, like most other whole foods, citrus fruits also contain an impressive list of other essential nutrients, including both glycaemic and non-glycaemic carbohydrate (sugars and fibre), potassium, folate, calcium, thiamin, niacin, vitamin B6, phosphorus, magnesium, copper, riboflavin,

pantothenic acid and a variety of phytochemicals.

VITAMIN C

Vitamin C (ascorbic acid), an essential water-soluble vitamin, plays a key role in the formation of collagen, a primary component of much of the connective tissue in the body.

Adequate collagen synthesis is essential for strong ligaments, tendons, dentin, skin, blood vessels and bones, and for wound healing and tissue repair.

They act as an antioxidant, it can help prevent the cell damage done by "free radical" molecules as they oxidize protein, fatty acids and deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) in the body.

FOLATE

Folate is a water-soluble vitamin essential for new cell production and growth.

It helps in the production of DNA and ribonucleic acid (RNA) and mature red blood cells, which ultimately prevent anaemia.

In the United States, the recommended daily intake of folate

is 180 mcg for females and 200 mcg for males.

POTASSIUM

Potassium is an essential mineral that works to maintain the body's water and acid balance.

As an important electrolyte, it plays a role in transmitting nerve impulses to muscles, in muscle contraction and in the maintenance of normal blood pressure.

Increased consumption of citrus fruits and juices is a good means of increasing potassium intake.

CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE

It is well accepted that a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol and rich in fruits and vegetables reduces the risk of heart disease.

Epidemiological studies have also shown a significant association between vitamin C intake and protection against cardiovascular mortality, but the precise mechanism of protection is still unclear.

BOOST IMMUNITY

The vitamin C found in citrus fruits is especially important as it is not only anti-inflammatory, antiviral, and antibacterial, but it also works to boost your immune system.

LOWER THE RISK OF STROKE IN WOMEN

A recent study conducted by Norwich Medical School has found that citrus fruits like orange and grapefruit contain components called flavanones that helped reduce the ischemic strokes in women by a staggering 19%.

EXFOLIATION OF SKIN

The dried peel of citrus fruit is filled with vitamin C, which is a great exfoliating and cleansing agent.

It clears all old, dead skin cells and shrinks pores and makes the skin looking clear and glowing.

REDUCES PIGMENTATION

Dark spots and pigmentation occur when your skin is exposed to the ultraviolet rays of the sun.

The UV rays deplete the antioxidants in your skin, thus causing oxidative damage.

The vitamin C in citrus fruits prevents pigmentation and UV-induced photodamage.

For this purpose, we can either consume citrus fruits or apply their juice topically.

FIGHT DANDRUFF

When applied to your hair, the acidic nature of lemon

juice helps deep clean your scalp and get rid of all the

dandruff.

It also reduces the dullness in your hair and makes it

look thicker and shinier.

CATARACTS

Oxidation of the eye's lens plays a central role in the formation of age-related cataracts.

Lower cataract risk has been shown in individuals with high blood concentrations or intakes of vitamin C and carotenoids.

There is now evidence to show that a high level of vitamin C intake over the long term decreases the risk of cataract development.

KIDNEY STONE DISEASE

A kidney stone is a crystal structure formed by excessive salts in the urine.

The most common type of stone is the calcium stone.

A stone will increase in size until it is not passable and becomes lodged in the ureter.

Stone symptoms include severe back pain, blood in the urine and fever.

Stones strike men three to four times more often than women.

Some people prone to stones have been found with insufficient levels of citrate in their urine and it has been suggested that eating citrus fruits and drinking orange juice may help prevent kidney stones by increasing urinary citrate.

MIRINDA

SNACKS

TROPICANA

CAKES

BATHROOM CLEANER

BEAUTY PRODUCTS

THE CONCLUSION

The health benefits associated with citrus consumption are clear.

Citrus fruits are nutrient-dense foods that can be good sources of carbohydrates, including dietary fibre, and many vitamins and minerals.

Citrus fruits are equally valuable among populations who need to overcome and prevent micronutrient deficiencies as well as those concerned with

problems of over nutrition, obesity and diet-related chronic diseases.

Increasing the consumption of citrus benefits both producers and consumers, building effective partnerships to that end should not be difficult and would be an invaluable investment in the nutritional well-being and health of the population.