GRAPEFRUIT

Chemical properties

The plant grows 9 to 15 m (30 to 50 ft) tall The tree has a rounded and conical head, ovate glabrous leaves and smooth, gray-brown bark The tree bears large, white, fragrant fowers The fruit is large, light lemon or orange, with a thin rind and grayish- yellow or fesh pink The odor is fresh and citrus-like; taste is reminiscent of sweet and bitter orange to some degree The parts used are the fruit and peel Historically and botanically, the origin of grapefruit is uncertain and appears to have developed from the Shaddok variety native to the West Indies The plant is cultivated in the United States (Florida, California, Texas), eastern Asia, West Indies, Brazil and Nigeria The C decumana variety yields the largest fruits (up to 10 kg).

Composition

Chemical components of citrus fruit include sugars, polysaccharides, organic acids, nitrogenous constituents, lipids, carotenoids (that contribute to color), vitamins, minerals, favonoids and volatile components that contribute to aroma * It is also high in fber and water Some of the constituents (naringin, naringenin, limonin and obacunone) of grapefruits have been found to affect liver enzymes.