''Citrus bergamia'', the bergamot orange (pronounced ), is a fragrant
citrus fruit
''Citrus'' is a genus of flowering trees and shrubs in the rue family, Rutaceae. Plants in the genus produce citrus fruits, including important crops such as oranges, lemons, grapefruits, pomelos, and limes. The genus ''Citrus'' is native to ...
the size of an
orange
Orange most often refers to:
*Orange (fruit), the fruit of the tree species '' Citrus'' × ''sinensis''
** Orange blossom, its fragrant flower
*Orange (colour), from the color of an orange, occurs between red and yellow in the visible spectrum
* ...
, with a yellow or green color similar to a
lime
Lime commonly refers to:
* Lime (fruit), a green citrus fruit
* Lime (material), inorganic materials containing calcium, usually calcium oxide or calcium hydroxide
* Lime (color), a color between yellow and green
Lime may also refer to:
Botany ...
, depending on ripeness.
Genetic research into the ancestral origins of extant citrus cultivars found bergamot orange to be a probable hybrid of
lemon
The lemon (''Citrus limon'') is a species of small evergreen trees in the flowering plant family Rutaceae, native to Asia, primarily Northeast India (Assam), Northern Myanmar or China.
The tree's ellipsoidal yellow fruit is used for culin ...
and
bitter orange
Bitter orange, Seville orange, bigarade orange, or marmalade orange is the citrus tree ''Citrus'' × ''aurantium'' and its fruit. It is native to Southeast Asia and has been spread by humans to many parts of the world. It is probably a cross be ...
. Extracts have been used as an aromatic ingredient in food, tea,
snus
Snus ( , ) is a tobacco product, originating from a variant of dry snuff in early 18th-century Sweden. It is placed between the upper lip and gum for extended periods, as a form of sublabial administration. Snus is not fermented. Although used ...
, perfumes, and cosmetics.
Use on the skin can increase
photosensitivity Photosensitivity is the amount to which an object reacts upon receiving photons, especially visible light. In medicine, the term is principally used for abnormal reactions of the skin, and two types are distinguished, photoallergy and phototoxicit ...
, resulting in greater damage from sun exposure.
[
]
Etymology
The word bergamot is derived from the Italian word , derived either from the Italian town of Bergamo or Ottoman Turkish ("prince's pear").
Description
''Citrus bergamia'' is a small tree that blossoms during the winter. The juice tastes less sour than lemon, but more bitter than grapefruit.
Phytochemicals
Bergamot fruit or oil contains flavonoids, such as neoeriocitrin
Neoeriocitrin is a 7-''O''-glycoside of the flavanone eriodictyol and the disaccharide
A disaccharide (also called a double sugar or ''biose'') is the sugar formed when two monosaccharides are joined by glycosidic linkage. Like monosaccharides, ...
, naringin
Naringin is a flavanone-7-''O''- glycoside between the flavanone naringenin and the disaccharide neohesperidose.
The flavonoid naringin occurs naturally in citrus fruits, especially in grapefruit, where naringin is responsible for the fruit' ...
, neohesperidin
Neohesperidin is a flavanone glycoside found in citrus fruits. It is the 7-O- neohesperidose derivative of hesperetin, which in turn is the 4'-methoxy derivative of eriodictyol. Neohesperidin dihydrochalcone
Neohesperidin dihydrochalcone, sometim ...
, ponceritin, melitidin, mitrocin, miriflin, brutieridin
Brutieridin is a flavanone glycoside. Brutieridin was discovered in bergamot orange juice and exhibits statin-like properties as well as an anticholesterolaemic effect. As a result, the juice seems to have hypolipidemic (lipid
Lipids are a ...
, and bergamottin
Bergamottin (5-geranoxypsoralen) is a natural furanocoumarin found in the pulp of pomelos and grapefruits. It is also found in the peel and pulp of the bergamot orange, from which it was first isolated and from which its name is derived.
Chemis ...
. Bergamot leaves contain different indole alkaloid
Indole alkaloids are a class of alkaloids containing a structural moiety of indole; many indole alkaloids also include isoprene groups and are thus called terpene indole or secologanin tryptamine alkaloids. Containing more than 4100 known diffe ...
s, such as N,N,N-trimethyltryptamine.
Taxonomy
The bergamot orange is unrelated to the herbs known as bergamot, wild bergamot, bergamot mint, or bergamint – ''Monarda didyma
''Monarda didyma'', the crimson beebalm, scarlet beebalm, scarlet monarda, Eau-de-Cologne plant, Oswego tea, or bergamot, is an aromatic herb in the family Lamiaceae, native to eastern North America from Maine west to Ontario and Minnesota, and ...
'', '''', and Eau de Cologne mint
Eau de Cologne mint, also known as orange mint and bergamot mint, is a cultivated mint. In a 1970 study, most plants were found to be male sterile forms of ''Mentha aquatica'', so were regarded as ''Mentha aquatica'' var. ''citrata'', although in ...
(the taxonomy of which is disputed). Those are all in the mint family
The Lamiaceae ( )
or Labiatae are a family of flowering plants commonly known as the mint, deadnettle or sage family. Many of the plants are aromatic in all parts and include widely used culinary herbs like basil, mint, rosemary, sage, savory, ...
, and are named for their similar aroma.
''Citrus bergamia'' has also been classified as ''Citrus aurantium'' subsp. ''bergamia'' (i.e. a subspecies of bitter orange
Bitter orange, Seville orange, bigarade orange, or marmalade orange is the citrus tree ''Citrus'' × ''aurantium'' and its fruit. It is native to Southeast Asia and has been spread by humans to many parts of the world. It is probably a cross be ...
).
''Citrus bergamia'' is sometimes confused with (but is not the same as): ''Citrus medica'' – citron, the yellow fruit of which is also known as etrog
Etrog ( he, אֶתְרוֹג, plural: '; Ashkenazi Hebrew: ', plural: ') is the yellow citron or ''Citrus medica'' used by Jews during the week-long holiday of Sukkot as one of the four species. Together with the ''lulav'', ''hadass'', and '' a ...
; or ''Citrus limetta
''Citrus limetta'', alternatively considered to be a cultivar of '' Citrus limon'', ''C. limon'' 'Limetta', is a species of ''citrus'', commonly known as mousami, musami, sweet lime, sweet lemon, and sweet limetta, it is a member of the sweet lem ...
'', the "sweet lemon" or "sweet lime".
Production
The bergamot is a citrus fruit native to southern Italy. Production is mostly limited to the Ionian Sea coastal areas of the province of Reggio di Calabria
Reggio di Calabria ( scn, label= Southern Calabrian, Riggiu; el, label=Calabrian Greek, Ρήγι, Rìji), usually referred to as Reggio Calabria, or simply Reggio by its inhabitants, is the largest city in Calabria. It has an estimated popula ...
in Italy, to such an extent that it is a symbol of the entire city. Most of the bergamot comes from a short stretch of land there, where the temperature is favourable. The fruit is also produced in Argentina, Brazil, Algeria, the Ivory Coast, Morocco, Tunisia, Turkey, and South-East Asia.
Citrus bergamot is commercially grown in southern Calabria ( province of Reggio), southern Italy. It is also grown in southern France and the Ivory Coast for the essential oil and in Antalya
la, Attalensis grc, Ἀτταλειώτης
, postal_code_type = Postal code
, postal_code = 07xxx
, area_code = (+90) 242
, registration_plate = 07
, blank_name = Licence plate
...
in southern Turkey
Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with a small portion on the Balkan Peninsula in ...
for its marmalade
Marmalade is a fruit preserve made from the juice and peel of citrus fruits boiled with sugar and water. The well-known version is made from bitter orange. It is also made from lemons, limes, grapefruits, mandarins, sweet oranges, bergamot ...
. The fruit is not generally grown for juice consumption. However, in Mauritius
Mauritius ( ; french: Maurice, link=no ; mfe, label= Mauritian Creole, Moris ), officially the Republic of Mauritius, is an island nation in the Indian Ocean about off the southeast coast of the African continent, east of Madagascar. It ...
where it is grown on a small-scale basis, it is largely consumed as juice by the locals.
One hundred bergamot oranges yield about of bergamot oil.
Adulteration
An adulterant is caused by the act of adulteration, a practice of secretly mixing a substance with another. Typical substances that are adulterated include but are not limited to food, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, fuel, or other chemicals, that ...
with cheaper products such as oil of rosewood
Rosewood refers to any of a number of richly hued timbers, often brownish with darker veining, but found in many different hues.
True rosewoods
All genuine rosewoods belong to the genus ''Dalbergia''. The pre-eminent rosewood appreciated ...
and bergamot mint has been a problem for consumers. To protect the reputation of their produce, the Italian government introduced tight controls, including testing and certificates of purity. The '''' (Experimental Station for Essential Oil and Citrus By-Products) located in Reggio di Calabria
Reggio di Calabria ( scn, label= Southern Calabrian, Riggiu; el, label=Calabrian Greek, Ρήγι, Rìji), usually referred to as Reggio Calabria, or simply Reggio by its inhabitants, is the largest city in Calabria. It has an estimated popula ...
, was the quality control body for the essential oil ''Bergamotto di Reggio Calabria'' DOP.
During World War II, Italy was unable to export to countries such as the Allied powers. Rival products from Brazil and Mexico came on to the market as a substitute, but these were produced from other citrus fruits such as sweet lime.[Board, Niir (2011). "Oil of Bergamot." ''The Complete Technology Book of Essential Oils (Aromatic Chemicals)''. p. 75. .]
Uses
Tea and other uses
An essence extracted from the aromatic skin of this sour fruit is used to flavour Earl Grey
Earl Grey is a title in the peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1806 for General Charles Grey, 1st Baron Grey. In 1801, he was given the title Baron Grey of Howick in the County of Northumberland, and in 1806 he was created Viscou ...
and Lady Grey tea
Tea is an aromatic beverage prepared by pouring hot or boiling water over cured or fresh leaves of ''Camellia sinensis'', an evergreen shrub native to East Asia which probably originated in the borderlands of southwestern China and north ...
s, as well as confectionery (including Turkish delight
Turkish delight or lokum ( ota, لوقوم) is a family of confections based on a gel of starch and sugar. Premium varieties consist largely of chopped dates, pistachios, hazelnuts or walnuts bound by the gel; traditional varieties are often fl ...
). Bergamot is one of the most common "casings" (flavorings) added to Swedish snus
Snus ( , ) is a tobacco product, originating from a variant of dry snuff in early 18th-century Sweden. It is placed between the upper lip and gum for extended periods, as a form of sublabial administration. Snus is not fermented. Although used ...
, a form of smokeless tobacco product.
Fragrance
Bergamot oil is one of the most commonly used ingredients in perfumery
Perfume (, ; french: parfum) is a mixture of fragrant essential oils or aroma compounds (fragrances), fixatives and solvents, usually in liquid form, used to give the human body, animals, food, objects, and living-spaces an agreeable scent. Th ...
. It is prized for its ability to combine with an array of scents to form a bouquet of aroma
An odor (American English) or odour ( Commonwealth English; see spelling differences) is caused by one or more volatilized chemical compounds that are generally found in low concentrations that humans and animals can perceive via their se ...
s that complement each other.[ . .] Bergamot is a major component of the original composed by Jean-Marie Farina at the beginning of the 18th century in Germany. The first use of bergamot oil as a fragrance ingredient was recorded in 1714, and can be found in the Farina Archive in Cologne
Cologne ( ; german: Köln ; ksh, Kölle ) is the largest city of the German western state of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) and the fourth-most populous city of Germany with 1.1 million inhabitants in the city proper and 3.6 millio ...
. However, much "Bergamot oil" is today derived instead from eau de Cologne mint
Eau de Cologne mint, also known as orange mint and bergamot mint, is a cultivated mint. In a 1970 study, most plants were found to be male sterile forms of ''Mentha aquatica'', so were regarded as ''Mentha aquatica'' var. ''citrata'', although in ...
, also known as bergamot mint, which is a variety of water mint
''Mentha aquatica'' (water mint; syn. ''Mentha hirsuta'' Huds.Euro+Med Plantbase Project''Mentha aquatica'') is a perennial flowering plant in the mint family Lamiaceae. It grows in moist places and is native to much of Europe, northwest Africa ...
and is unrelated to citrus.
Toxicology
In several patch test studies, application of some sources of bergamot oil directly to the skin of guinea pig
The guinea pig or domestic guinea pig (''Cavia porcellus''), also known as the cavy or domestic cavy (), is a species of rodent belonging to the genus '' Cavia'' in the family Caviidae. Breeders tend to use the word ''cavy'' to describe the ...
s was shown to have a concentration-dependent phototoxic
Phototoxicity, also called photoirritation, is a chemically induced skin irritation, requiring light, that does not involve the immune system. It is a type of photosensitivity.
The skin response resembles an exaggerated sunburn. The involved chemi ...
effect of increasing redness after exposure to ultraviolet
Ultraviolet (UV) is a form of electromagnetic radiation with wavelength from 10 nm (with a corresponding frequency around 30 PHz) to 400 nm (750 THz), shorter than that of visible light, but longer than X-rays. UV radiation ...
light (due to the chemical bergapten
Bergapten (5-methoxypsoralen) is a naturally-occurring organic chemical compound produced by numerous plant species, especially from the carrot family Apiaceae and the citrus family Rutaceae. For example, bergapten has been extracted from 24 ...
, and possibly also citropten
Citropten is a natural organic compound
In chemistry, organic compounds are generally any chemical compounds that contain carbon-hydrogen or carbon-carbon bonds. Due to carbon's ability to catenate (form chains with other carbon atoms), ...
, bergamottin
Bergamottin (5-geranoxypsoralen) is a natural furanocoumarin found in the pulp of pomelos and grapefruits. It is also found in the peel and pulp of the bergamot orange, from which it was first isolated and from which its name is derived.
Chemis ...
, geranial
Citral is an acyclic monoterpene aldehyde, and being a monoterpene, it is made of two isoprene units. Citral is a collective term which covers two geometric isomers that have their own separate names; the ''E''-isomer is named geranial (''trans ...
, and neral). This is a property shared by many other citrus fruits
''Citrus'' is a genus of flowering trees and shrubs in the rue family, Rutaceae. Plants in the genus produce citrus fruits, including important crops such as oranges, lemons, grapefruits, pomelos, and limes. The genus ''Citrus'' is nativ ...
and other members of Rutaceae
The Rutaceae is a family, commonly known as the rue[RUTACEAE](_blank)
in BoDD – Botanical Der ...
, including rue
''Ruta graveolens'', commonly known as rue, common rue or herb-of-grace, is a species of ''Ruta'' grown as an ornamental plant and herb. It is native to the Balkan Peninsula. It is grown throughout the world in gardens, especially for its bluis ...
.
Skin effects
Used in cosmetics
Cosmetics are constituted mixtures of chemical compounds derived from either natural sources, or synthetically created ones. Cosmetics have various purposes. Those designed for personal care and skin care can be used to cleanse or protect ...
and perfume
Perfume (, ; french: parfum) is a mixture of fragrant essential oils or aroma compounds (fragrances), fixatives and solvents, usually in liquid form, used to give the human body, animals, food, objects, and living-spaces an agreeable scent. Th ...
products, bergamot may cause skin irritation.[ In the past, ]psoralen
Psoralen (also called psoralene) is the parent compound in a family of naturally occurring organic compounds known as the linear furanocoumarins. It is structurally related to coumarin by the addition of a fused furan ring, and may be considered ...
extracted from bergamot oil was used in tanning accelerator
Sunless tanning, also known as UV filled tanning, self tanning, spray tanning (when applied topically), or fake tanning, refers to the effect of a suntan without exposure to the Sun. Sunless tanning involves the use of oral agents (carotenids) ...
s and sunscreens. Known to be photocarcinogen A photocarcinogen is a substance which causes cancer when an organism is exposed to it, then illuminated. Many chemicals that are not carcinogenic can be photocarcinogenic when combined with exposure to light, especially UV. This can easily be un ...
ic since 1959, the substances nonetheless were used in tanning activators until 1995, contributing to many cases of melanoma and death.
Research
As of 2017, clinical research
Clinical research is a branch of healthcare science that determines the safety and effectiveness ( efficacy) of medications, devices, diagnostic products and treatment regimens intended for human use. These may be used for prevention, treatm ...
conducted on bergamot oil has been of poor quality, with no conclusions about its possible biological effects. Consuming bergamot oil as a component of tea may cause muscle cramp
A cramp is a sudden, involuntary, painful skeletal muscle contraction or overshortening associated with electrical activity; while generally temporary and non-damaging, they can cause significant pain and a paralysis-like immobility of the aff ...
s.[ Use on the skin may be unsafe, particularly for children and pregnant women, and may cause ]rash
A rash is a change of the human skin which affects its color, appearance, or texture.
A rash may be localized in one part of the body, or affect all the skin. Rashes may cause the skin to change color, itch, become warm, bumpy, chapped, dry, c ...
es resulting from photodermatotoxicity.[
]
References
External links
Bergamot by Citrus Variety Collection of the UCR
* ''Citrus bergamia''
BBC news story on the farming of Bergamot in the Calabria region of Italy
Information about the hard candy ''bergamote de Nancy''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bergamot Orange
Calabria
Citrus hybrids
Flora of Greece
Flora of Iran
Citrus
''Citrus'' is a genus of flowering trees and shrubs in the rue family, Rutaceae. Plants in the genus produce citrus fruits, including important crops such as oranges, lemons, grapefruits, pomelos, and limes. The genus ''Citrus'' is native to ...
Oranges (fruit)
Ark of Taste foods