DEFINITION

Bitter Orange Young Fruit (also known as Zhishi) consists of the dried fallen young fruit of Citrus × aurantium L. (Fam. Rutaceae) and its cultivars. The fallen young fruit at an early stage of development from bitter orange trees is collected whole or sliced in half, and either dried in the sun or at a low temperature. It contains NLT 22% of total dihydroflavone glycosides, calculated as the sum of narirutin (C₂₇H₃₂O₁₄), naringin (C₂₇H₃₂O₁₄), hesperidin (C₂₈H₃₄O₁₅), and neohesperidin (C₂₈H₃₄O₁₅); and NLT 0.4% and NMT 1% of synephrine (C₉H₁₃NO₂), all on the dried basis.