Bitter Orange

Bitter orange, the fruit of the plant Citrus vulgaris Risso (Citrus Aurantium var. amara L.), from the Rutaceae-Aurantioideae family, growing along the shores of the Mediterranean Sea and on the Malay Archipelago. The constituent parts of bitter orange: essential oil, the glycoside hesperidin, the glycoside aurantiamarin and aurantiamarinic acid; both of the latter have a very bitter taste. The immature fruits—Fructus Aurantii immaturi—are used as an appetite stimulant and to promote digestive activity of the stomach in the form of a tincture—Tinctura Aurantii (Ph. VII) and in compound preparations. It is an ingredient of bitter tincture (Ph. VII). For the same purpose and as an aromatic and carminative, the peel of the fruit, as well as bitter orange flowers and leaves, were used per se and in the form of Aq. Aurantii florum (Aq. Naphae) and Sir. Aurantii (Ph. VII). Bitter orange does not have great medical significance, and as an imported product has been used less frequently, and can be replaced by a plant of the same family growing in the Caucasus (mandarin). Bitter orange finds wide application in liqueur production. By a circular of the People's Commissariat of Health dated December 2, 1929, it was proposed to remove bitter orange as imported raw material and to replace it with other plants in the manufacture of preparations.