Botanical Overview
Citrus aurantium, commonly known as Bitter orange, Seville orange, or Sour orange, belongs to the Rutaceae family. The plant is native to the Mediterranean region, Southeast Asia, and North Africa. Various parts are utilized medicinally, including the fruit peel, flowers, leaves, and essential oil.
Energetics
This herb is considered warming and drying in nature, with bitter, pungent, acrid, and aromatic tastes. Its energetic actions are characterized by ascending and outward directionality, tonifying quality, and a focus on the body’s qi.
Primary Actions
- Appetizer
- Digestive stimulant
- Mild stimulant
- Antispasmodic
- Nervine
- Sedative (flowers)
Indications
Western
- Indigestion
- Loss of appetite
- Gastric spasms
- Mild anxiety
- Sleep disturbances
Syndromes
- Dyspepsia
- Functional gastrointestinal disorders
- Mild nervous tension
- Insomnia
TCM
- Epigastric fullness
- Lack of appetite
- Nausea
- Abdominal pain
- Cough
Syndromes
- Qi stagnation in the Liver and Spleen
- Phlegm-damp cough pattern
Ayurveda
- Anorexia
- Bloating
- Kaphaja conditions
Syndromes
- Kaphaja disorders
- Ama (toxicity) accumulation
Unani
- Flatulence
- Weak digestion
Syndromes
- Waja-ul-meda (stomach pain)
- Za‘af-ul-hazm (weak digestion)
Constituents & Mechanisms
Citrus aurantium contains important phytochemicals, including synephrine, limonene, flavonoids such as hesperidin, alkaloids, and essential oils. These contribute to its stimulant, digestive, and nervine effects.
Dosage & Preparations
- Bitter orange peel infusion 1-2 g, 1-3 times daily
- Essential oil 0.1-0.3 mL inhaled or in capsules
- Neroli flower hydrosol 2-4 mL, 1-2 times daily
- Tincture 1:5 40% ethanol, 2-5 mL, 1-3 times daily
Safety & Contraindications
Use cautiously due to cardiovascular stimulant effects; contraindicated in hypertension, cardiac arrhythmias, pregnancy, lactation, and concurrent use with monoamine oxidase inhibitors. Possible interactions with sympathomimetic drugs and antihypertensives exist. May cause photosensitivity with skin exposure. Neroli flower preparations are generally safe and employed as mild sedatives.
Astrological Correspondences
No consistent or authoritative tradtional sources establish planetary or elemental rulers for Citrus aurantium.
Selected References
- Phytotherapy Desk Reference: Citrus aurantium L. (Bitter Orange)
- Plants For A Future (PFAF): Citrus aurantium
- European Medicines Agency (EMA) HMPC Assessment Report: Bitter orange
- Chinese Herbal Medicine Materia Medica
- Herbal Medicine: Biomolecular and Clinical Aspects