An Introduction of Satkara

Introduction

General

Citrus macroptera var. annamensis Tanaka commonly known as ‘Satkara’ is an important citrus fruit crop of the family Rutaceae. It is the major family from which maximum vitamin-C contents are collected. In USA 40% of total perfume production is done from various citrus species. The fruit of this species is edible & popular among the people of greater Sylhet region of Bangladesh & Meghalaya & Assam of India. In Bangladesh both green & matured fruits are used in cooking for flavoring curry & also for pickle preparation. The fruits are used as a traditional medicine by the local tribes of Assam in India. Chowdhury et al. had reported the antioxidant activity of the crude extract of this plant. Recently, composition of the essential oil of this species has analyzed & various type of organic compounds e.g. myrcene, limonene, octanol, nonanal,linalool, octanol, geraniol, elemol etc. is found.A number of genera are not clearly defined & are in need of modern monographic treatments. In Bangladesh C. macroptera scatterdly found in the hilly areas of greater Sylhet districts particularly in Jaintopur, Jaflong, Baralekha, Bianibazar, Chattak etc.

Citrus macroptera var. annamensis is one of the important species of this family.







Fig.-cross section Fig.-citrus macroptera var.

Of citrus macroptera. annamensis.



Table-1:- Major citrus species (only species with English names shown, more purely asian species and varieties exist)

Scientific name Varieties

Citrus depressa Flat lemon, Hirami lemon, Thin-skinned flat lemon

Citrus glaberrima Silk-skinned orange

Citrus hassaku Hassaku orange

Citrus hystrix Kaffir lime (Aust.), Mauritius papeda

Citrus ichangensis Ichang papeda, Ichang lime

Citrus indica Indian wild orange

Citrus jambhiri Rough lemon, Jambhiri orange, Citronelle

Citrus kotokan Tiger head pomelo

Citrus atipes Khasi papeda

Citrus S limetta Sweet limetta, Mediterranean sweet lemon, Sweet lemon, Sweet lime

Citrus limettioides Indian sweet lime, Brazil sweet lime "enjoyed out-of-hand"

Citrus limonimedica Ethrog

Citrus limonum Small Egyptian lime

Citrus longilimon Assam lemon, Long-fruited lemon, Oblong lemon

Citrus macrophylla Macrophylla rootstock

Citrus macroptera Melanesian papeda

Citrus nana Dwarf citron tree

Citrus natsudaidai Japanese summer orange, Japanese bitter mandarin

Citrus nobilis Mandarin orange, Tangerine orange, King mandarin, Cambodian mandarin, Indo-Chinese mandarin

Citrus oto Yellow orange.

Citrus paratangerina Ladu mandarin.

Citrus pyriformis Ponderosa lemon

Citrus reshni Spice tangerine, Cleopatra mandarin, Loose-skinned baby mandarin

Citrus sunki Sunki mandarin, Sour mandarin, Sunkat

Citrus tardiva Japanese summer orange, Japanese sweet orange

Citrus volkameriana Volkamer lemon



Medicinal Importance of Citrus Fruits

Citrus zest is the skin of fruits such as oranges, lemons, limes, grapefruit, tangerines and mandarins. They are some of the most numerous and widely consumed fruits in the world today and lemon skin in particular is used widely as a flavourant. As well as being eaten as fruits and juices, citrus peels, which contain the greatest concentration of their valuable phytonutrients, are frequently used as " citrus zest", seasonings that add flavour to a variety of preserves, and sweet and savoury dishes. However, as we learn more about plants and the chemicals they contain, it is becoming clear that many other phytonutrients found in citrus zest contribute towards the extensive health benefits that are often still attributed to vitamin C. Until recently, the perceived medicinal properties of citrus have been associated primarily with vitamin C (ascorbic acid), which occurs in high concentrations in all of the citrus species.

As anticancer agents, citrus fruits have been subject to considerable research and have been shown to work against a number of cancer types. The fibre in citrus, called pectin, has also been studied and found to reduce the progression of advanced prostate cancer. Pectin can also lower the risk of a recurrence of mouth and throat cancers.