Bergamot orange

Citrus bergamia, the bergamot orange (pronounced /ˈbɜːrɡəˌmɒt/), is a

Bergamot orange
fragrant citrus fruit the size of an orange, with a yellow or green color similar
to a lime, depending on ripeness. Citrus bergamia

Genetic research into the ancestral origins of extant citrus cultivars found
bergamot orange to be a probable hybrid of lemon and bitter orange.[3]
Extracts have been used to scent food, perfumes, and cosmetics.[4] Use on the
skin can increase photosensitivity, resulting in greater damage from sun
exposure.[5]

Contents
Etymology
Description
Chemistry
Taxonomy
Production
Scientific classification
Uses
Food and drink Kingdom: Plantae
Tea and other uses
Clade: Angiosperms
Fragrance
Toxicology Clade: Eudicots
Skin effects
Clade: Rosids
Possible health effects
References Order: Sapindales
Bibliography Family: Rutaceae
External links
Genus: Citrus
Species: C. bergamia
Etymology Binomial name
The word bergamot is etymologically derived from the Italian word Citrus bergamia
"bergamotto",[6] ultimately of Turkish origin: bey armudu or bey armut Risso[1]
("prince's pear" or "prince of pears").[7]
Synonyms[2]

Description Citrus aurantium subsp.

Citrus bergamia is a small tree that blossoms during the winter. The juice bergamia (Risso & Poit.)
tastes less sour than lemon, but more bitter than grapefruit. Wight & Arn. ex Engl.
Citrus aurantium var.
Chemistry bergamia Loisel
The active ingredients in bergamot juice are neoeriocitrin, naringin, neohesperidin, ponceritin, melitidin, and mitrocin and 0.69%
miriflin with 0% moisture brutieridin.[8] Melitidin and brutieridin exhibit statin-like properties.[9] Synephrine is not present in
citrus bergamot.

Taxonomy
The bergamot orange is unrelated to the herbs known as bergamot or wild bergamot, Monarda didyma and Monarda fistulosa,
which are in the mint family, 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).[10]

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; or
Citrus limetta, the "sweet lemon" or "sweet lime".

Production
Production is mostly limited to the Ionian Sea coastal areas of the province of
Reggio di Calabria 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 where it has its
roots.

Citrus bergamot is commercially grown in southern Calabria (province of Reggio),

southern Italy. It is also grown in southern France[11] and in Côte d'Ivoire for the A bergamot orange from
essential oil and in Antalya in southern Turkey for its marmalade.[12] The fruit is not Calabria, Italy
generally grown for juice consumption.[4] However, in Mauritius where it is grown
on a small-scale basis, it is largely consumed as juice by the locals.

One hundred bergamot oranges yield about three ounces (85g) of bergamot oil.[13]

Adulteration with cheaper products such as oil of rosewood 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
Stazione Sperimentale per le Industrie delle Essenze e dei Derivati dagli Agrumi (Experimental Station for Essential Oil and
Citrus By-Products) located in Reggio di Calabria, was the quality control body for the essential oil Bergamotto di Reggio
Calabria DOP.[14] 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.[15]

Uses

Food and drink

The fruit of the bergamot orange is edible.

Tea and other uses


Bergamot marmalade
name Liquore al Bergamotto.
An essence extracted from the aromatic skin
of this sour fruit is used to flavour Earl Grey
and Lady Grey teas,[10] as well as
confectionery (including Turkish delight
[16]). It is often used to make marmalade,
particularly in Italy. In Sweden and Norway,
bergamot is a very common flavourant in
snus, a smokeless tobacco product.[17]
Likewise, in dry nasal snuff, it is also a
common aroma in traditional blends.[18][19]
Carpentierbe, a company based in San
Giorgio Morgeto, makes a digestif liqueur
derived from bergamot marketed under the

In France, particularly the Ardennes region and the city of Nancy, essential oils Bergamot orange tree in Maricopa
made from the fruit are used to make a square, flat candy called the "Bergamote County, Arizona
de Nancy".

Fragrance
Bergamot peel is one of the most common ingredients used in perfumery,[20] prized for its
ability to combine with an array of scents to form a bouquet of aromas which complement
each other.[21] Bergamot is a major component of the original Eau de Cologne composed
by Farina at the beginning of the 18th century in Germany. The first record of bergamot
oil as a fragrance ingredient was in 1714, to be found in the Farina Archive in Cologne.

Toxicology
In several patch test studies, application of some sources of bergamot oil directly to the
skin of guinea pigs was shown to have a concentration-dependent phototoxic effect of
increasing redness after exposure to ultraviolet light (due to the chemical bergapten, and
possibly also citropten, bergamottin, geranial, and neral).[22][23] This is a property shared
by many other citrus fruits. Bergapten has also been implicated as a potassium channel
blocker; in one case study, a patient who consumed four litres of Earl Grey tea per day Bergamot essential oil
(which contains bergamot essential oil as a flavouring) suffered muscle cramps.[24]

Bergamot is also a source of bergamottin which, along with the chemically related compound 6',7'-dihydroxybergamottin, is
believed to be responsible for grapefruit–drug interactions in which the consumption of the juice affects the metabolism of a
variety of pharmaceutical drugs.[25]

Skin effects
Used in cosmetics and perfume products, bergamot may cause skin irritation.[26] In the past, psoralen extracted from bergamot oil
has been used in tanning accelerators and sunscreens. Known to be photocarcinogenic since 1959,[27] the substances remained in
sunscreens until in 1995,[28] contributing to many cases of malignant melanoma and death.[29]

Possible health effects

As of 2017, clinical research conducted on bergamot oil has been of poor quality,
with no conclusions about its possible health effects.[30][31] Use on the skin can
be unsafe, particularly for children and pregnant women.[26][26][5] Potential side
effects of drinking large amounts of bergamot oil can include convulsions.[5]
Consuming bergamot oil as a component of tea may cause muscle cramps or
blurred vision, and its application to the skin may induce rashes.[26] The juice of
the fruit has been used in European folk medicine for various disorders.[31]

References Bergamot orange

1. The International Plant Names Index (http://www.ipni.org/ipni/idPlant

NameSearch.do?id=60455449-2&back_page=%2Fipni%2FeditAdvPl
antNameSearch.do%3Ffind_infragenus%3D%26find_isAPNIRecor
d%3Dtrue%26find_geoUnit%3D%26find_includePublicationAuthor
s%3Dtrue%26find_addedSince%3D%26find_family%3D%26find_ge
nus%3Dcitrus%26find_sortByFamily%3Dtrue%26find_isGCIRecor
d%3Dtrue%26find_infrafamily%3D%26find_rankToReturn%3Dall%2
6find_publicationTitle%3D%26find_authorAbbrev%3D%26find_infras
pecies%3D%26find_includeBasionymAuthors%3Dtrue%26find_modi
fiedSince%3D%26find_isIKRecord%3Dtrue%26find_species%3Dber
*%26output_format%3Dnormal), retrieved 2 June 2015
2. Porcher, Michel H.; et al. (1995), Multilingual Multiscript Plant Name
Database (M.M.P.N.D): Sorting Citrus Names (http://www.plantname
s.unimelb.edu.au/Sorting/Citrus_1.html), The University of
Melbourne
3. Curk, Franck; Ollitrault, Frédérique; Garcia-Lor, Andres; Luro,
François; Navarro, Luis; Ollitrault, Patrick (2016). "Phylogenetic
origin of limes and lemons revealed by cytoplasmic and nuclear
markers" (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4817432).
Annals of Botany. 117 (4): 565–583. doi:10.1093/aob/mcw005 (http
s://doi.org/10.1093%2Faob%2Fmcw005). PMC 4817432 (https://ww
w.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4817432).
4. Davidson, Alan (2006). Jaine, Tom (ed.). The Oxford Companion to
Food (Second ed.). p. 75. ISBN 0-19-280681-5. "The bergamot
orange is not edible and is grown only for its fragrant oil, although its
peel is sometimes candied."
5. "Bergamot" (http://www.webmd.com/vitamins-supplements/ingredien
tmono-142-BERGAMOT%20OIL.aspx?activeIngredientId=142&activ
eIngredientName=BERGAMOT%20OIL). WebMD. Retrieved
2016-01-04.
6. "Online Etymology Dictionary" (http://www.etymonline.com/index.ph
p?allowed_in_frame=0&search=bergamot&searchmode=none).
etymonline.com.
7. "Collins Dictionaries - Free Online" (http://www.collinsdictionary.com/
dictionary/english/bergamot). collinsdictionary.com.
8. Cappello, AR, Dolce V, Iacopetta D, Martello M, Fiorillo M, Curcio R,
Muto L, Dhanyalayam D. (2015). "Bergamot (Citrus bergamia Risso)
Flavonoids and Their Potential Benefits in Human Hyperlipidemia
and Atherosclerosis: an Overview". Mini-Reviews in Medicinal
Chemistry. 16: 1–11. doi:10.2174/1389557515666150709110222 (ht
tps://doi.org/10.2174%2F1389557515666150709110222).
PMID 26156545 (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26156545).
 9. Di Donna, Leonardo; De Luca, Giuseppina; Mazzotti, Fabio; Napoli,
Anna; Salerno, Raffaele; Taverna, Domenico; Sindona, Giovanni
(2009). "Statin-like Principles of Bergamot Fruit: Isolation of 3-
Hydroxymethylglutaryl Flavonoid Glycosides". Journal of Natural
Products. 72 (7): 1352–1354. doi:10.1021/np900096w (https://doi.or
g/10.1021%2Fnp900096w). PMID 19572741 (https://www.ncbi.nlm.n
ih.gov/pubmed/19572741).
10. "Citrus bergamia" (https://npgsweb.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/taxonomy
detail.aspx?id=10698). Germplasm Resources Information Network
(GRIN). Agricultural Research Service (ARS), United States
Department of Agriculture (USDA). Retrieved 2011-09-07.
11. "Bergamot Orange - Citrus aurantium ssp bergamia" (http://www.trad
ewindsfruit.com/bergamot.htm). tradewindsfruit.com.
12. Aktas, Ali (26 October 2004). "Reçellerin gözdesi, Bergamut(The
most prominent marmalade: Bergamot)" (https://archive.is/20130418
182958/http://www.zaman.com.tr/haber.do?haberno=303888&title=r
ecellerin-gozdesi-bergamut). ZAMAN. Archived from the original (htt
p://www.zaman.com.tr/haber.do?haberno=303888&title=recellerin-go
zdesi-bergamut) on 18 April 2013. Retrieved 26 April 2012.
13. Brannt, William Theodore; Schaedler, Karl. A Practical Treatise on
Animal and Vegetable Fats and Oils
14. "Decreto 15 novembre 2005 – Designazione della Stazione
sperimentale per le industrie delle essenze e dei derivati degli
agrumi quale autorità pubblica, incaricata di effettuare i controlli sulla
denominazione di origine protetta "Bergamotto di Reggio Calabria",
registrata in ambito Unione europea, ai sensi del regolamento (CEE)
n. 2081/92" (https://web.archive.org/web/20120425045946/http://ww
w.ismea.it/flex/AppData/Redational/Normative/20051206000100010.
pdf) (PDF). ISMEA. Archived from the original (http://www.ismea.it/fle
x/AppData/Redational/Normative/20051206000100010.pdf) (PDF)
on 2012-04-25.
15. Board, Niir (2011). "Oil of Bergamot." The Complete Technology
Book of Essential Oils (Aromatic Chemicals). p. 75. ISBN 978-81-
7833-066-2.
16. Garbee, Jenn (2011, January 06). Three generations of Turkish
delight in Southern California (http://articles.latimes.com/2011/jan/06/
food/la-fo-artisan-turkish-delight-20110106). Los Angeles Times.
17. "Svensktsnus.se" (http://www.general.se). general.se.
18. Mohr, Melissa (17 November 2014). "How did we get from snuff to
vaping?" (http://blog.oup.com/2014/11/snuff-vape-history-smoking-w
oty2014/). OUP Blog. Retrieved 2 March 2016. "snuff could be
colored and flavored in hundreds of combinations, including orange
flower, rose, bergamot, musk, and tonka bean"
19. "FAQs" (http://sharrowmills-online.com/information/faqs.html).
Wilsons & Co. (Sharrow) Ltd. Retrieved 2 March 2016. "The recipes
known only to two members of the Wilson family in each generation
since 1737, natural oils such as Bergamot, Attar of Roses, Jasmine
and Sandalwood are added in precise measure to delight the nose."
20. Zoe Diana Draelos (14 October 2015). Cosmetic Dermatology:
Products and Procedures (https://books.google.com/books?id=D2a-
CgAAQBAJ&pg=PA57). Wiley. pp. 57–. ISBN 978-1-118-65546-7.
21. Giovanni Dugo; Ivana Bonaccorsi (23 August 2013). Citrus
bergamia: Bergamot and its Derivatives (https://books.google.com/b
ooks?id=a0vNBQAAQBAJ&pg=PA467). CRC Press. pp. 467–.
ISBN 978-1-4398-6229-2.
22. Girard J, Unkovic J, Delahayes J, Lafille C (1979). "Phototoxicity of
Bergamot oil. Comparison between humans and guinea pigs".
Dermatologica (in French). 158 (4): 229–43. doi:10.1159/000250763
(https://doi.org/10.1159%2F000250763). PMID 428611 (https://www.
ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/428611).
23. Kejlova K, Jirova D, Bendova H, Kandarova H, Weidenhoffer Z,
Kolarova H, Liebsch M (2007). "Phototoxicity of bergamot oil
assessed by in vitro techniques in combination with human patch
tests". Toxicology in Vitro. 21 (7): 1298–1303.
doi:10.1016/j.tiv.2007.05.016 (https://doi.org/10.1016%2Fj.tiv.2007.0
5.016). PMID 17669618 (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1766
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24. Finsterer, J (2002). "Earl Grey tea intoxication". Lancet. 359 (9316):
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6%2FS0140-6736%2802%2908436-2). PMID 11988248 (https://ww
w.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11988248).
25. Bailey, David G.; Malcolm, J.; Arnold, O.; Spence, J. David (1998).
"Grapefruit juice–drug interactions" (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pm
c/articles/PMC1873672). Br J Clin Pharmacol. 46 (2): 101–110.
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26. "Bergamot oil" (https://www.drugs.com/npp/bergamot-oil.html).
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27. Urbach, F (1959). "Modification of ultraviolet carcinogenesis by
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Bibliography
Dugo, Giovanni; Bonaccorsi, Ivana (2013). Citrus bergamia: Bergamot and its Derivatives. Medicinal and
Aromatic Plants – Industrial Profiles (Book 51). CRC Press. ISBN 978-1439862278.

External links
Bergamot by Citrus Variety Collection of the UCR (http://www.citrusvariety.ucr.edu/citrus/bergamot.html)
Citrus bergamia
BBC news story on the farming of Bergamot in the Calabria region of Italy (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/48
83068.stm)
Information about the hard candy bergamote de Nancy (https://archive.is/20130213123612/http://www.nancy-tour
isme.fr/gastronomy/local-produce/)

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