Botanical names Citrus reticulata blanco var tangerine
Source Fruit peel, by expression
Family Rutaceae
Origin Italy
Processing Method Cold Pressed
Description / Color / Consistency A thin, clear, pale yellow to golden liquid.
Aromatic Summary / Note / Strength of Aroma A middle note with a medium aroma, Tangerine is typically fresh, tangy and sweet. With only subtle differences, it smells much like Mandarin. In comparison to Sweet Orange, Tangerine is lighter with sweeter notes.
Blends With Basil, Bergamot, Clary Sage, Clove Bud, Frankincense, Lavender, Lemon, Lime, Neroli, Nutmeg and Orange.
Product Abstract
Tangerines are smaller and less rounded than common oranges. The taste is considered less sour, as well as sweeter and stronger, than that of an orange. A ripe tangerine is firm to slightly soft, heavy for its size, and pebbly-skinned with no deep grooves, as well as orange in color. The peel is very thin, with very little bitter white mesocarp. which makes them usually easier to peel and to split into segments.All of these traits are shared by mandarins.
History
Tangerines were first grown and cultivated as a distinct crop in the Americas by a Major Atway in Palatka, Florida. Atway was said to have imported them from Morocco, which was the origin of the name "Tangerine". Major Atway sold his groves to N. H. Moragne in 1843, giving the Moragne tangerine the other part of its name.
Harvesting/Extraction Information
Tangerine are native to China, and from there, they have spread to other parts of the world. Just like mandarin orange essential oil, the essential oil of tangerine is extracted by cold compression of its peels and contains alpha pinene, alpha-thujone, beta pinene, camphene, citronellal, gamma terpinolene, geranial, limonene, linalool, myrcene, nerol, sabinene, and terpineol as its chief components.
Common usage
Caution
This oil may show some extent of phototoxicity in certain skin types, but in general, it is non-toxic, non-irritating, and non-sensitizing.
Key constituents
(þ)-Limonene 73.2%
g-Terpinene 16.8%
b-Myrcene 1.8%
a-Pinene 1.6%
b-Pinene 1.2%
Safety summary
Hazards Skin sensitization if oxidized.
Cautions Old or oxidized oils should be avoided.
Our safety advice
Because of its (þ)-limonene content, we recommend that oxidation of tangelo oil is avoided by storage in a dark, airtight container in a refrigerator. The addition of an antioxidant to preparations containing it is recommended.
Regulatory guidelines
IFRA recommends that essential oils rich in limonene should only be used when the level of peroxides is kept to the lowest practical level, for instance by adding antioxidants at the time of production.
Organ-specific effects
Adverse skin reactions Undiluted tangelo oil was mildly to moderately irritating to rabbits, and produced some blanching when applied to mice or pigs; tested at 8% on 25 volunteers it was neither irritating nor sensitizing. It is non-phototoxic. Autoxidation products of (þ)-limonene can cause skin sensitization.
Reproductive toxicity The low developmental toxicity of (þ)- limonene in rabbits and mice suggests that tangelo oil is not hazardous in pregnancy.
Systemic effects
Acute toxicity Non-toxic. Tangelo oil acute oral LD50 in rats >5 g/kg; acute dermal LD50 in rabbits >5 g/kg.
Carcinogenic/anticarcinogenic potential No information was found for tangelo oil, but it contains no known carcinogens. (þ)-Limonene displays anticarcinogenic activity.
Comments
This plant is a hybrid of tangerine and grapefruit. ‘Minneola’ and ‘Orlando’ are two of the most common cultivars.