Medicinal Plants

Citrus maxima (Burm.) Merr.

Jeruk Bali

Rutaceae

Location in the garden Fruit
Photo 1 of medicinal plant Citrus maxima (Jeruk Bali) Photo 2 of medicinal plant Citrus maxima (Jeruk Bali) Photo 3 of medicinal plant Citrus maxima (Jeruk Bali)

Summary

Jeruk bali or pomelo (Citrus maxima) is a tree up to 10 meters tall of the Rutaceae family, native to Malaysia and spread as far as the Mediterranean. The name 'Jeruk Bali' is actually somewhat inaccurate since it does not originate from Bali, so the Ministry of Agriculture recommends the international term 'pomelo'. Its large, fresh fruit is believed to help with weight loss and cancer prevention.

Agroecology

The plant can grow well in lowlands up to elevations of 1,000 m above sea level. This type of citrus prefers areas with flat topography (not varied), with deep groundwater levels and no waterlogging.

Morphology

  • Root a taproot.
  • Stem hard and tough wood.
  • Leaves oblong-shaped with a tapering tip and winged petiole, light green, thick, and glossy in color.
  • Flowers white in color, very fragrant, growing at the tips of twigs.
  • Fruit varies in shape from round, somewhat flattened, to perfectly round. Fruit skin color varies from dark green to yellowish-green when ripe, average diameter about 20 cm.
  • Seeds about 1 cm in size.

Cultivation

  • Propagated by seed, air layering, or cuttings.
  • Harvest time, fruit age 6-8 months after the flowers bloom.

Chemical Content

Carotenoid, flavonoid (limonoid, naringin), tannin, marmin, β-sitosterol, 5,7-dihydroxylcoumarin, xanthotoxol, 1,3,5-trihydroxybenzene.

Benefits

Treats cough, fever, weight loss, cancer prevention, prevents premature aging, antioxidant, antidiabetic, reduces risk of kidney stones, reduces risk of cancer, maintains brain health.

Simplisia

Information not yet available.

Local Names

Limau besar (Malay), Boh giri (Aceh), Jeruk cikoneng (Sunda).

Traditional Recipes

The following recipes reflect traditional knowledge passed down through generations, not a substitute for professional medical diagnosis or advice. Consult a healthcare provider before use.

Traditional recipe Facial mask for brightening and clearing acne from Jeruk Bali

1. Facial mask for brightening and clearing acne

  • Take 1 pomelo fruit, blend the citrus using a blender.
  • Apply to the entire face. Leave for 15-30 minutes then rinse thoroughly with water and facial soap.
Traditional recipe Diabetes-controlling juice from Jeruk Bali

2. Diabetes-controlling juice

  • Prepare 150 g pomelo (take the flesh), 150 g strawberries (chopped), 200 ml cold plain yogurt, 3 ice cubes then blend until smooth.
  • Drink the juice once a day.

Reference Sources

  1. Fern, ken. (2019). Useful Tropical Plants. Citrus maxima. http://tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Citrus+maxima. 23-02-2021
  2. Niyomdham, Chawalit. (2016). Pl@nt Use. Citrus maxima (PROSEA). https://uses.plantnet-project.org/en/Citrus_maxima_(PROSEA). 23-02-2021
  3. Flora of China. (No date). Citrus maxima. http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=2&taxon_id=242412666. 23-02-2021
  4. NIH. (2015). National Library of Medicine. [Chemical Constituents from Young Fruits of Citrus maxima cv. Shatian]. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26930983/. 23-02-2021
  5. StuartXchange. (2018). Philippine Medicinal Plants. Suha. http://www.stuartxchange.org/Suha.html. 23-02-2021
  6. Suryana Dayat. 2018. Manfaat Buah : manfaat buah buahan. Suryana Dayat independent.
  7. Sutomo Budi, Kurnia Dian. 2016. 378 jus dan ramuan herbal: tumpas penyakit ringan sampai berat, kawan pustaka.
  8. Pubmed NCBI. Chemical constituents from young fruits of Citrus maximac v.Shatian, http://www.pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/ChemicalconstituentsfromyoungfruitsofCitrusmaximacv.Shatian 28-01-2021.