Project Materials

A PRELIMINARY PHYTOCHEMICAL AND ANTIMICROBIAL SCREENING OF SEED AND COAT OF Citrus sinensis

Chapter one

INTRODUCTION

Citrus sinensis, often known as sweet orange seed in the Igbo of Nigeria, belongs to the Rutaceae family. The seed is best sown in a greenhouse as soon as it is ripe after thoroughly rinsing; sow stored seed in a greenhouse in March; germination usually occurs within 2-3 weeks at 130 degrees Celsius. Seedlings are susceptible to damping off, so they must be watered with caution and kept well ventilated. Citrus sinensis Contains a diverse set of active ingredients, and research is still underway to find applications for them.

They’re high in vitamin C, flavonoids, acids, and volatile oils. They also contain coumarins, such as bergapten, which make the skin sensitive to sunlight. Bergapten is sometimes used in tanning preparations because it promotes pigmentation in the skin, but it can cause dermatitis or allergic reactions in some people.

Some of the plants’ more recent applications include antioxidants and chemical exfoliants in spercified cosmetics. The fruit is an appetiser and blood purifier; it is used to relieve thirst in fever patients and to treat catarrh.

The fruit juice is effective in the treatment of bilious infections and diarrhoea. The fruit rind is a caminative and tonic treatment for acne. The dried peel is used to treat anorexia, colds, and coughs.

1.1 Aims and Objectives of the Study

To screen the coat and seed of Citrus sinensis for the presence of interesting phytochemicals.

. To determine the antifungal/antibacterial activities of the seed and coat of Citrus sinensis

LITERATURE REVIEW

SCIENTIFIC CLASSIFICATION KINGDOM: PLANTAE

(Unranked) – Angiosperm

(Unranked) – Eudicot

(Unranked) – Rosids

Order: Sapindales

Family – Rutaceae

Genus – Citrus

Species – C. xsinensis

Bionomial na,e – Citrus Sinensis

The investigation into phytochemical and antimicrobial screening of active chemicals from natural source has always been of significant interest for scientists looking for novel sources of helpful medications against infection and disorders [1].

Plants are vital sources of medicinal importance employed in both western type pharmaceutical products and local medicinal remedies. The traditional usage of plants materials for treatment of human ailment extends back to prehistoric times

[2] according to the world health organizations 80% of the world population relies on traditional medicines to meet their daily health requirements.

However, from the estimated 250 000 species of higher plants documented to date, only 5-15% have been examined for their potential therapeutic value.

Ethiopia is a tropical country with a high floral diversity and endermism[5]. According to [6], there are roughly 700 species of higher plants of which 12% are endemic, more than 80% of the Ethiopian population rely on traditional remedies[7] the nation wide usage of plants as a sole source of traditional medicine gives promising potential for the search of ethnobotanical specimens based on traditional knowledge.

Several scholars have explored the ethnobotanical [8] phytochemical[9] and antibacterial activities[10] of a number of therapeutic plants.

1.3 Origin and Description

The orange is unknown in its natural condition; it is thought to have originated in Southern China. Northeastern India and potentially Southeastern Asia (formerly Indochina). It was likely brought to the Mediterranean region by Italian traders after 1450 or by Portuguese navigators around 1500.

Citrus fruits were formerly regarded by Europeans primarily for medicinal purposes, but orange was swiftly adopted as a delicious fruit, and wealthy individuals grow them in private conservations known as orangeries.

By 1646, it had received extensive publicity and was well-known. Oranges have become the most widely produced fruit in the world. It is a major crop in the Far East, the Union of South Africa, Australia, the Mediterranean region, and the subtropical portions of South America and the Caribbean.

The United States dominates in global production, with Florida alone producing more than 200 million boxes each year, until freezes strike, which can cut crop yields by 20 or even 40%.

1.4 Morphology of the Citrus sinensis

The orange tree has a circular canopy of slender branches and can grow to be 25 feet (7.5 meters) tall or 50 feet (15 meters) tall with considerable age. When young, the twigs are twisted and angled, and the leaf axils may contain slender semiflexible, bluntish spines.

Wings can be weak or apparent on the petioles of aromatic evergreen, alternate elliptic to ovate, occasionally barely toothed “leaves” – officially solitary leaflets of compound leaves. These measure 21/2 to 6m (6.5-15cm) in length and 1 to 33/4 in (2.5-9.5cm) in width.

Brone singly or in clusters of 2 to 6, the delightfully scented white flowers are about 2 in (5cm) diameter, with a saucer-shaped, 5 pointed calyx and 5 oblong, white petals, as well as 20 to 25 stamens with prominent yellow anthers. The fruit is subglobose, oblate, or oval, and measures 21/2 to 33/4 inches (6.5-9.5 cm) wide.

The outer ring (epicarp) is orange or yellow when ripe, the inner ring (mesocarp) is white, spongy, and nonaromatic, and the pulp (endocarp) is yellow, orange, or less red. The sweet orange differs from the sour orange in that it has a solid centre.

1.5 GENERAL APPLICATIONS AND IMPORTANCE

Seeds and coat of the Citrus sinensis

It is a sunny and dazzling oil that brings happiness and warmth to the mind, relaxes people, and aids children’s sleep. Orange oil can help boost the immune system, treat colds and flu, and eliminate toxins from the body.

It is an effective diuretic that is especially excellent for regulating water retention and obesity. Its lymphatic stimulant activity promotes overall well-being.

Orange oil can aid with constipation and dyspepsia in the digestive tract, and it can also be used as a general tonic to relieve nervous tension and stress.