LEMON

citrus limonium

LEMON
citrus limonium

Tree originates from South Asia, has been cultivated for thousands of years in China and India. In Europe, was seen as a mythical tree that gave fruit throughout the year until the fourth century a. C. they began to cultivate lemon and orange trees in the Old Continent, though, in honor of the truth, which was imported, but then there were lemon Cidra.

Family: Rutaceae.

Synonyms: Citrus limonum Risso, Citrus medica var. limon L.

Common name: Limonero.

Place of origin: Species native to Southeast Asia.

Etymology: Citrus, comes from Greek and means lemon. Limon, its popular name.

Branch of lemon, which shows its flowers and fruits. The flesh of these properties have antiscorbutic, antiseptic and astringent.

The burden of vitamin lemons is tar, which is often recommended to consume the fruit. However, we have to dilute their juice, because of their high acidity that could harm your teeth.

It is a tree of up to 4 or 5 meters in height, trunk smooth, with branches and young leaves of a pink hue. The adult leaves are large, oval, hard, with a long petiole on the basis of which appears a thorn. The flowers are formed by five white petals, touched by the outside and white on the internal. The fruit, lemon, about 10 cm long, oval shaped, with a projection in the extreme; its surface, very rough, yellow is intense; their skin, not too thick, protects the flesh, divided into segments, very acidic.

LOCATION: Lives in the temperate forests of India, at the foot of the Himalayas, and north of the Indochina peninsula, but has adapted to colder climates not very (very badly supports the low temperatures) This beneficial tree has flourished in large parts of the Mediterranean coast. Today is grown throughout America.

COLLECTION: The fruit matures over the year, and at any time find ripe lemons in a single lemon, but it seems that autumn is when most citric acid accumulates.

USES AND APPLICATIONS: It is one of the fruits of basic food, but it should never be eaten alone, the juice has to be watered down because of their high acid content can damage teeth, is the basis of many soft drinks (the simplest: Lemon juice diluted in water with sugar) It is used as flavoring in cleaning products. The cosmetics industry is used in products to strengthen nails, to soften the tone hands op skins fats. Da shine to the hair if used in rinsing. As a homemade remedy for certain ailments, its uses are manifold. Against gout, hypertension and arteriosclerosis is recommended to the cure of two ninths (two nine - day) It consists in taking the first day, fasting, the juice of a lemon (always diluted in water) the second, two, and until the ninth, taking the nine lemons, the tenth nine other lemons, and is reducing the number of lemons, one each day up to 18, which will take juice of one lemon. For inflammation of the throat or mouth sores, can be made gargarismos rinses or lemon juice diluted in water by half. In the heavy digestions, you can take the lemon juice diluted in water and then a teaspoon of bicarbonate dilute it in a little water.

Description: Arbolito small 3 - 6 m tall with many branches with thorns hard and thick. Young twigs angular, later round and smooth. Unifoliadas leaves of pale green, for elliptic to oblong - ovadas of 6 - 12. 5 cm long and 3 - 6 cm in width. Punta short and obtuse. Saw - toothed margin. Petiole short and winged broadly. Reddish young leaves. Flowers solitary or axillary racemes, in a state of red button. White petals at the top and purple underneath. 20 - 40 stamens. Oval or oblong fruit, mamilado toward the ends of 7 - 12 cm in length, light yellow or golden. Peel more or less thick and dotted gland, depending on the varieties. Sour juice and fragrant. Seeds small, ovoid and pointy.

Data crop: Its culture is similar to the orange, but better resist the cold. The lemon juice is mainly used as a condiment and flavor, but is consumed in other ways.

Used Part.

The fruit (pericarp and pulp)

Active Principles.

Pericarp: * Essential oil (up 2. 5%) of complex composition: limonene, pinene, citral (mixture of general and geranial) citronelal, Terpinol, canfeno, phellandrene, cumarinas (limetina, bergamotina) flavonoids (neohesperidósidos and routines) Vitamin C, carotenoids, mucilages, calcium oxalate.

€ flesh: Abundant pectin, sugars, citric acid, ascorbic, malic, flavonoids.

* Germany: The essential oil of lemon must contain not less than 2. 2% m / m and not more than 4. 5% m / m of carbon compounds, calculated as citral.

Drug Action.

The essential oil is antiseptic, eupéptico, Carmine and diuretic, an activity enhanced by the presence of flavonoids (citroflavonoides) that, in addition, are involved in vitamin Q: venotónica, Vasoprotectives (decrease capillary permeability and increase their endurance. Pectin has an effect hemostatic local, antidiarrheal and protector of the gastrointestinal mucosa. It is also anti, antiemetic, antipyretic, analgesic, and remineralizing antiesclerótico. In external use is antiseptic, healing, moisturizing and demulcent.

Indications.

Varicose veins, haemorrhoids, capillary fragility, phlebitis, arterial, retinopathy, hypertension. States that require an increase in urine output: genitourinary disorders (cystitis, ureteritis, urethritis, pyelonephritis, oliguria, urolithiasis) hiperazotemia, hyperuricemia, gout, high blood pressure, edema, overweight accompanied by fluid retention.

Colds, flu, convalescence. Inappetence, dyspepsia hiposecretoras, meteorism, gastric hyperacidity, hepatobiliary dyskinesia, vomiting, diarrhea, oxiurasis. Prevention of scurvy.

In topical use: thrush, stomatitis, angina, blepharitis, conjunctivitis, ear infections, vulvovaginitis, dystrophy of the vaginal mucosa, wounds, dry skin, ichthyosis, psoriasis.

Contraindications.

Unless otherwise indicated, we recommend not to prescribe essential oils through internal during pregnancy, lactation, children under six years or patients with gastritis, gastric ulcers, irritable bowel syndrome, ulcerative colitis, Crohn's disease, hepatopathy, epilepsy, Parkinson and other neurological diseases.

Do not administer, or topically applied to children under six years old or people with respiratory allergies or with known hypersensitivity to this or other essential oils.

Do not prescribe dosage forms with alcoholic content for oral administration in children under two years or consultants in the process of alcohol addiction.

Side Effects.

It is relatively frequent occurrence of contact dermatitis in bakers and confectioners produced by the lemon rind.

Caution / Poisoning.

Manage the essential oil with caution, especially in children, for the possibility of occurrence of allergic reactions caused by hypersensitivity to the drug.

Avoid sun exposure after topical application of essential oil, for the possibility of occurrence of phenomena photosensitization.

Take into account the alcohol content of the fluid extract and tincture.

Galenica forms / Dosage.

Internal use:

Infusion: the bark of three lemons per liter. Infuse 15 minutes. Three cups a day before meals.

Essential oil: 2 to 5 drops, twice a day in tea, on a sugar cube or oily solution or an alcoholic. Capsules (25 to 50 mg / caps, 1 to 4 daily)

Fluid extract (1: 1) 30 - 50 drops, one to three times a day.

Tincture (1: 10) 50 - 100 drops, two or three times a day.

Lemon juice: widely used media in the form of natural cures discontinuous.

Decoction or maceration of the crust: A glass fasting (popularly used as a worming)

Lemonade: juice from a lemon with a teaspoon of baking soda and a pinch of salt, diluted in sugar water as a drink or febricitantes case of gastroenteritis.

External use:

Juice, pure or diluted to 10%, applied as compresses, washed, friction, mouthwashes gargarismos, eye drops, eye baths, irrigations or vaginal instillations ear.

Bibliography.

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Samuelsson, G. Drugs of Natural Origin. A Textbook of Pharmacognosy. Stockholm: Swedish Pharmaceutical Press, 1992, p. 144.

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