Lemon Peel

LEMON PEEL

Synonym

Fructus Limonis.

Biological Source

Lemon peel is obtained from the fresh ripe fruit of Citrus limon (L.) Burm. f. (C medico var. limon Linn.), belonging to family Rutaceae.

Geographical Source

It is cultivated in California. West Indies, Italy, Spain, Sicily, Portugal, Florida, California, Jamaica, and Australia; grown all over India, particularly in home gardens and small-sized orchards.

Collection

Lemon plant is a small, 3–5 m high, evergreen thorny tree with shining leaves. Fruits are collected before their green colour changes to yellow in January, August, and November. The outer dark yellow peel is removed with a sharp knife. Dried lemon peel is spiral, 20 cm long, 1.5 cm wide, 2–3 mm thick, outer surface is rough and yellow, inner surface is pithy and white. Odour is strong and aromatic, taste is aromatic and bitter.

Chemical Constituents

Lemon peel contains volatile oil (2.5%), vitamin C, hesperidin and other flavone glycosides, mucilage, pectin and calcium oxalate. The important constituents of the volatile oil are limonene (90%), citronellal, geranyl acetate, α-pinene, camphene, linalool, terpineol, methyl heptenone, octyl and nonyl aldehydes, γ-terpinene, β-pinene, neral, and geranial.

The peels also contain flavonoids eriocitrin, epigenin, luteolin, chrysoeriol, quercetin, isorhamnetin, limocitrin, limocitrol, isolimocitrol, hesperidin; coumarins scopoletin and umbelliferone; sinapic acid and β-coumaric acid.

Uses

Lemon peel is used as a flavouring agent, perfumery, stomachic, and carminative. The oil, externally, is a strong rubefacient and if taken internally in small doses has stimulating and carminative properties.

Marketed Products

It is one of the ingredients of the preparations known as Protein shampoo (Himalaya Drug Company), Panch Nimba churna (Zaipa Pharmaceuticals), and Ultra Doux conditioner (Garnier).