Library   

LEMON � LIMON. B.P. 1958
(1) British Pharmacopoeia 1958
(2) Martindale�s 24th
(3) Potters Cyclopedia
Compiled and edited by Ivor Hughes

(1) DRIED LEMON PEEL Limonis Cortex Siccatus Limon. Cort. Sice. Dried Lemon Peel is the dried outer part of the pericarp of the ripe, or nearly ripe, fruit of Citrus limon Burm.
Description. Odour, aromatic; taste, aromatic and bitter.
Macroscopical. Strips or pieces; outer surface, yellow and somewhat rough, with only a small amount of the white spongy part of the pericarp on the inner surface. Fracture, short.
Microscopical. Epidermal cells, small and polyhedral; below the epidermis, parenchymatous tissue containing small vascular strands, numerous large oil glands and numerous prismatic crystals of calcium oxalate. Volatile oil. Not less than 2-5 per cent v/w.

FRESH LEMON PEEL Limonis Cortex Recens Limon. Cort. Rec.
Fresh Lemon Peel is the outer part of the fresh pericarp of the ripe, or nearly ripe, fruit of Citrus limon Burm.  Description. Odour, strong, fragrant and characteristic; taste, aromatic and bitter. 
Macroscopical. Outer surface, pale yellow and somewhat rough, with only a small amount of the white spongy part of the pericarp on the inner surface.Microscopical. Epidermal cells, small and polyhedral; below the epidermis, parenchymatous tissue containing small vascular strands, numerous large oil glands and numerous prismatic crystals of calcium oxalate. Preparations. Lemon Tincture, see below. Lemon Syrup, see below.

LEMON TINCTURE Lemon Tinct.
Fresh Lemon Peel, in thin slices 500 g.
Alcohol (60 per cent) 1000 ml. Prepare by Maceration.
Alcohol content. 41 to 51 per cent v/v. Total solids. 2-5 to 3-5 per cent w/v.
Weight per ml. At 20�, 0-940 to 0-965 g.
Preparation. Lemon Syrup, see below.
DOSE. 1 to 2 ml. (15 to 30 min.).

LEMON SYRUP. Lemon Syr.
Lemon Tincture 60 ml.
Citric Acid, in powder 25 g.
Syrup, sufficient to produce 1000 ml.
Dissolve the Citric Acid in the Lemon Tincture and add sufficient Syrup to produce 1000 ml.
Weight per ml. At 20�, 1-29 to 1-32 g.
DOSE. 2 to 4 ml. (30 to 60 min.).

(2) Martindales 24th 
Lemon Oil (B.P.). Ol. Limon.; .Aetheroleum Citri; Oleum Citri; Zitronenol; Esencia de cidra.
Foreign Pharmacopoeias: In all pharmacopoeias examined except Chin, and Swed.
A pale yellow or greenish-yellow oil with a characteristic odour and a warm, slightly bitter taste, obtained by expression from fresh lemon peel. It contains not less than 4% w/w of aldehydes calculated as citral. Wt per ml. 0.850 to 0.856 g. Soluble 1 in 12 of alcohol (90%), the solution having a slight opalescence; miscible with dehydrated alcohol, carbon disulphide, and glacial acetic acid.
Uses. Lemon oil is carminative, but it is chiefly used as a flavouring agent. For culinary purposes an alcoholic solution (1 in 10) is sometimes sold as 'essence of lemon", but this solution should be supplied as 'prepared essence of lemon.

Dried Lemon Peel (B.P.), Limon. Cort. Sice., and Fresh Lemon Peel. (B.P.), Limon. Cort. Rec.; Citrii Cortex; Citri Flavedo; Limonis Flavedo; Pericarpium Citri. The dried or fresh outer part of the pericarp of the ripe or nearly ripe fruit of Citrus limon ( = C. limonia and C. medico) (Rutaceas). The dried peel contains not less than 2- 5% v/w of volatile oil.
Foreign Pharmacopoeias: In Chin., Egyp., Jug., and Swed, Chil., Ind.t Swiss, and U.S. have fresh peel only.
Uses. Lemon peel is used principally as a flavouring agent and as a bitter.

Syr. Succ. Limon. (B.P.C. 1934). Syrup of Lemon Juice.
Lemon peel 20 g. is macerated in alcohol (90%) 30 ml. for 7 days, pressed, and filtered. The filtrate is diluted to 40 ml. with alcohol (90%) and added to sucrose 760 g. dissolved in fresh clarified lemon juice 500 ml.
Dose: 2 to 4 ml. (30 to 60 minims).

Syrup of Lemon (B.P. Add.). Syr. Limon.
Tincture of lemon 6 ml., citric acid 2-5 g., syrup to 100 ml.
Dose: 2 to 8 ml. (30 to 120 minims).

Tinct. Limon. Cone. (B.P.C. 1949). Concentrated Tincture of Lemon.
Prepared by macerating fresh lemon peel 1 in 1 of alcohol (90%). It is approximately twice the strength of Tincture of Lemon, B.P.
Add. Dose: 0-5 to 1 ml. (8 to 15 minims).

Tincture of Lemon (B.P. Add.).
Prepared by macerating fresh lemon peel 1 in 2 of alcohol (60%). U.S.P. is the same strength but is prepared with alcohol (95%). Protect from light in a cool place. 
Dose: 1 to 2 ml. (15 to 30 minims).

(3) Potters Cyclopedia. 
LEMON. Citrus limon (L.) Eurm.
Fam. Rutaceae
Synonyms: Limon.
Habitat: Native to Asia, cultivated widely, in Italy, Cyprus, USA etc.
Description: The fruit is too well-known to require description.
Part Used: Fruit, juice, peel and essential oil.
Constituents: Essential oil, about 2.5% of the peel, consisting of mainly monoterpenes such as limonene, the major component (ca. 70%), with a-terpinene, a- and p-pinene, myrcene, sabinene; aldehydes, mainly citral; sesquiterpenes such as bisabolene and caryophyllene [1,5] coumarins including limettin, bergamottin and imperatorin [5] Flavonoids, known as citroflavonoids or bioflavonoids; mainly hesperidoside, nar-ingoside and eryodictyoside [33] Vitamin C, mucilage, calcium oxalate [1].
Medicinal Use: The citroflavonoids are used in vascular disorders where venous insufficiency results in haemorrhoids and varicose veins etc., since they control vascular permeability to liquids and proteins by decreasing porosity. They are also reportedly antiinflammatory (probably due to the bisabolol content), antihistaminic and diuretic. Lemons are a well-known source of vitamin C and are more usually used as a food and flavouring.
Preparations: Lemon Oil BP, Lemon Tincture BP 1958.
Regulatory Status: GSL.

      Library