The health benefits of Tangerine Peel

Traditional Chinese Medicine

The Health Benefits of Tangerine Peel chen pi 陳皮

Pericarpium Citri Reticulatae, Citrus reticulata Blanco, chinpi, hong ju, da hong
pao, chuan ju, 红橘、大红袍、川橘

What is its traditionally use?

Traditionally, it has been used to raise the blood pressure, stimulate blood
vessels, decrease the movement of digestive tract and uterus. It contains
nobiletin, pinenes etc. [1] Its peel contains hesperidin, neohesperidin, nobiletin
and tangeritin. [4]

Are there any health benefits of Tangerine Peel (with scientific support)?

Researchers from Korea found it has cholesterol-lowering effects in a rat
study. Bok SH and co-workers from Korea Institute of Bioscience and
Biotechnology, Korea [2] wrote:
The inhibition of HMG-CoA reductase and ACAT activities resulting from the
supplementation of either tangerine-peel extract or a combination of its
bioflavonoids could account for the decrease in fecal neutral sterol that appears
to compensate for the decreased cholesterol biosynthesis in the liver.

Researchers showed its anti-cancer activities in cell studies.

Murakami A and co-workers from Kinki University, Japan, wrote [3]: Citrus
fruit intake is known to be associated with a reduction of cancer incidence. The
inhibitory activities of peel parts were largely found to be higher than those of
the corresponding juice sac parts. In particular, the peel portion of Dancy
tangerine (Citrus tangerinia) showed marked anti-oxidative activities in these
systems.

Korean researchers found that Citrus reticulata Blanco (CR) extract, the immature
tangerine peel, possessed of activities against human gastric cancer cell line SNU-
668. [5]

Researchers believe peels can benefit people suffered from cardiovascular and
neural diseases such as Parkinson's disease. [6, 7]

Reference:
[1] http://alternativehealing.org [2] Bok SH, Lee SH, Park YB, Bae KH, Son KH,
Jeong TS, Choi MS. Plasma and hepatic cholesterol and hepatic activities of 3-
hydroxy-3-methyl-glutaryl-CoA reductase and acyl CoA: cholesterol transferase
are lower in rats fed citrus peel extract or a mixture of citrus bioflavonoids. J Nutr.
1999 Jun;129(6):1182-5. [3] Murakami A, Nakamura Y, Ohto Y, Yano M, Koshiba T,
Koshimizu K, Tokuda H, Nishino H, Ohigashi H. Suppressive effects of citrus fruits
on free radical generation and nobiletin, an anti-inflammatory
polymethoxyflavonoid. Biofactors. 2000;12(1-4):187-92. [4] Guo XL, Wang TJ,
Guo MJ, Chen Y. Studies on chemical constituents of processed green tangerine
peel, Zhongguo Zhong Yao Za Zhi. 2000 Mar;25(3):146-8. [5] Kim MJ, Park HJ,
Hong MS, Park HJ, Kim MS, Leem KH, Kim JB, Kim YJ, Kim HK., Citrus Reticulata
blanco induces apoptosis in human gastric cancer cells SNU-668., Nutr Cancer.
2005;51(1):78-82. [6] Rincón AM, Vásquez AM, Padilla FC. Chemical composition
and bioactive compounds of flour of orange (Citrus sinensis), tangerine (Citrus
reticulata) and grapefruit (Citrus paradisi) peels cultivated in Venezuela Arch
Latinoam Nutr. 2005 Sep;55(3):305-10. [7] Datla KP, Zbarsky V, Rai D, Parkar S,
Osakabe N, Aruoma OI, Dexter DT. Short-term supplementation with plant
extracts rich in flavonoids protect nigrostriatal dopaminergic neurons in a rat
model of Parkinson's disease. J Am Coll Nutr. 2007 Aug;26(4):341-9.