ORANGE TREE
INTRODUCTION
Plants have anchored to the mother earth long before man set his feet on earth. God has endowed mankind with materials for survival much before his arrival on earth. The world health organization (WHO) estimates that about 80% of the population still depends upon herbal medicines for the treatment of various diseases due to easy availability, economic reasons and fewer side effects. Herbal remedies have formed the basis of traditional systems of medicine for ages and have formed the foundation of modern pharmacology. Herbal medicines have a long history of popularity, better patient tolerance as well as acceptance. Availability of medicinal plants is not a problem especially in developing countries like India, which is having rich agroclimatic, cultural and ethnic biodiversity. Orange, the tasty, juicy fruit, belonging to the family Rutaceae is botanically known as Citrus sinensis. Citrus sinensis is one of the most important and widely grown fruit crops, with total global production reported to be around 120 million tons. Orange trees are widely cultivated in tropical and subtropical climates for its tasty juice and medicinal value. In worldwide trades, citrus fruits generate about 105 billion dollars per year all over the world. Orange fruit is cultivated in more than 130 countries including India, UK, France, Germany, Holland, Brazil, China, USA and Spain. Oranges are generally available from winter through summer with seasonal variations depending on the variety.
HISTORY
The orange tree is mostly cultivated and rarely found in the forests. It was first cultivated in Southern China and Northeastern India. The Persian orange, grown widely in southern Europe after its introduction to Italy in the 11th century, was bitter. It was primarily grown for its medicinal purposes. Italian traders might have introduced it to the Mediterranean area after 1450 AD. Christopher Columbus took the seeds of oranges, lemons and citrons to Haiti and the Caribbean on his second journey of Sea in 1493 AD,. Portuguese navigators have also been credited with bringing orange trees to the Mediterranean region around 1500 AD. After identification of the orange fruit, it was quickly adopted as an edible fruit. It was so highly regarded that wealthy persons grew oranges in private conservatories, called orangeries. Spaniards introduced the sweet orange into South America and Mexico in the mid-1500s. In 1646, orange was well-known in Europe. They were introduced in Florida by Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de León, in 1753 and were introduced to Hawaii in 1792. The first record of citrus, Citrus MedicaL, was done by Theophrastus, in 350 BC, and was introduced as a fruit by Alexander. In early European history, writers wrote about Persian citrus, that it had a wonderful fragrance and was thought to be a remedy for poisoning, a breath sweetener, and a repellant to moths. The citron was the first of the citruses to be known in Europe. Alexander the Great used orange fruit as a perfume first and then as a food. Orange trees had existed on American soil, years before the declaration of independence, and commercial cultivation in Florida (in the 1820s) and California (in 1870s). Orange consumption in the US before the 1880s, however, remained insufficient by way of transforming the industry into a full-scale citrus bonanza. Americans did not include oranges in their normal diet until around 1880s, when refrigeration and mass transport system via rail/roads was developed after which there was nation-wide recognition.
Fruit
The orange fruit is a hesperidium. It is a type of berry that ranges widely in size, colour, shape, and juice quality. Fruits are globose to ovoid in shape. The wild orange fruit has a smooth skin, and the petiole wings are entire. The petioles of sour orange leaves are much larger than that of sweet orange. The word "orange" is derived from the Sanskrit term "Narang". Mainly 11 individual pieces are present in a typical fruit. Oranges are round citrus fruits with finely-textured skins that are, of course, orange in colour just like their pulpy flesh. Oranges usually range from approximately two to three inches in diameter.
Seeds
Seeds are greenish to pale whitish, flattened, and angular. The seed is generally polyembryonic. The embryos are either "zygotic" or "nuclear". The zygotic embryos are derived from pollination of the ovary, i.e., sexual reproduction, and therefore are not always similar in horticultural qualities to the parent tree. The nuclear embryos are derived wholly from the mother plant and show very similar characteristics to the parent plant.
MEDICINAL USES OF ORANGE: Oranges are effective in the management of:
ORANGE AS A FOLKLORE MEDICINE
From the times immemorial, the whole orange plant including fruits, leaves, flowers, peels and the juice are used as traditionalmedicine. Orange is a good source of Vitamins (B1, B2, B3, B5, A, B6, C), flavonoids, terpenes, potassium and calcium.
TRADITIONAL USES
INTRODUCTION
Plants have anchored to the mother earth long before man set his feet on earth. God has endowed mankind with materials for survival much before his arrival on earth. The world health organization (WHO) estimates that about 80% of the population still depends upon herbal medicines for the treatment of various diseases due to easy availability, economic reasons and fewer side effects. Herbal remedies have formed the basis of traditional systems of medicine for ages and have formed the foundation of modern pharmacology. Herbal medicines have a long history of popularity, better patient tolerance as well as acceptance. Availability of medicinal plants is not a problem especially in developing countries like India, which is having rich agroclimatic, cultural and ethnic biodiversity. Orange, the tasty, juicy fruit, belonging to the family Rutaceae is botanically known as Citrus sinensis. Citrus sinensis is one of the most important and widely grown fruit crops, with total global production reported to be around 120 million tons. Orange trees are widely cultivated in tropical and subtropical climates for its tasty juice and medicinal value. In worldwide trades, citrus fruits generate about 105 billion dollars per year all over the world. Orange fruit is cultivated in more than 130 countries including India, UK, France, Germany, Holland, Brazil, China, USA and Spain. Oranges are generally available from winter through summer with seasonal variations depending on the variety.
HISTORY
The orange tree is mostly cultivated and rarely found in the forests. It was first cultivated in Southern China and Northeastern India. The Persian orange, grown widely in southern Europe after its introduction to Italy in the 11th century, was bitter. It was primarily grown for its medicinal purposes. Italian traders might have introduced it to the Mediterranean area after 1450 AD. Christopher Columbus took the seeds of oranges, lemons and citrons to Haiti and the Caribbean on his second journey of Sea in 1493 AD,. Portuguese navigators have also been credited with bringing orange trees to the Mediterranean region around 1500 AD. After identification of the orange fruit, it was quickly adopted as an edible fruit. It was so highly regarded that wealthy persons grew oranges in private conservatories, called orangeries. Spaniards introduced the sweet orange into South America and Mexico in the mid-1500s. In 1646, orange was well-known in Europe. They were introduced in Florida by Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de León, in 1753 and were introduced to Hawaii in 1792. The first record of citrus, Citrus MedicaL, was done by Theophrastus, in 350 BC, and was introduced as a fruit by Alexander. In early European history, writers wrote about Persian citrus, that it had a wonderful fragrance and was thought to be a remedy for poisoning, a breath sweetener, and a repellant to moths. The citron was the first of the citruses to be known in Europe. Alexander the Great used orange fruit as a perfume first and then as a food. Orange trees had existed on American soil, years before the declaration of independence, and commercial cultivation in Florida (in the 1820s) and California (in 1870s). Orange consumption in the US before the 1880s, however, remained insufficient by way of transforming the industry into a full-scale citrus bonanza. Americans did not include oranges in their normal diet until around 1880s, when refrigeration and mass transport system via rail/roads was developed after which there was nation-wide recognition.
Fruit
The orange fruit is a hesperidium. It is a type of berry that ranges widely in size, colour, shape, and juice quality. Fruits are globose to ovoid in shape. The wild orange fruit has a smooth skin, and the petiole wings are entire. The petioles of sour orange leaves are much larger than that of sweet orange. The word "orange" is derived from the Sanskrit term "Narang". Mainly 11 individual pieces are present in a typical fruit. Oranges are round citrus fruits with finely-textured skins that are, of course, orange in colour just like their pulpy flesh. Oranges usually range from approximately two to three inches in diameter.
Seeds
Seeds are greenish to pale whitish, flattened, and angular. The seed is generally polyembryonic. The embryos are either "zygotic" or "nuclear". The zygotic embryos are derived from pollination of the ovary, i.e., sexual reproduction, and therefore are not always similar in horticultural qualities to the parent tree. The nuclear embryos are derived wholly from the mother plant and show very similar characteristics to the parent plant.
MEDICINAL USES OF ORANGE: Oranges are effective in the management of:
- Arthritis
- Asthma
- Alzheimer's disease
- Parkinson's disease
- Macular degeneration
- Diabetes mellitus
- Gallstones
- Multiple sclerosis
- Cholera
- Gingivitis
- Optimal lung function
- Cataracts
- Ulcerative colitis
- Crohn’s disease
ORANGE AS A FOLKLORE MEDICINE
From the times immemorial, the whole orange plant including fruits, leaves, flowers, peels and the juice are used as traditionalmedicine. Orange is a good source of Vitamins (B1, B2, B3, B5, A, B6, C), flavonoids, terpenes, potassium and calcium.
TRADITIONAL USES
- Orange juice helps to eliminate toxins from the body.
- Orange juice helps to maintain hydration.
- It is used as a general tonic.
- Orange juice is useful in cases of anxiety disorder and stress.
- It is used as a Mexican traditional medicine for the treatment of tuberculosis.
- It is used in stomach upsets; it improves appetite and prevents constipation.
- The humble Orange has a long history in Chinese Medicine as a cooling agent for coughs, colds and respiratory disorder.
- It is a traditional Chinese symbol of good luck and prosperity.
- It is used in the treatment of obesity.
- Orange symbolizes innocence and fertility.
- In France, it is used for the treatment of angina, hypertension, constipation, diarrhea, menstrual disorder and Palpitation.
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