Grapefruit


The grapefruit is a subtropical citrus tree known for its relatively large sour to semisweet, somewhat bitter fruit. Grapefruit is a citrus hybrid originating in Barbados as an accidental cross between the sweet orange and pomelo, both of which were introduced from Asia in the 17th century. When found, it was nicknamed the "forbidden fruit". Frequently, it is misidentified as the very similar parent species, pomelo.
The "grape" part of the name alludes to clusters of fruit on the tree that often appear similar to grape clusters. The interior flesh is segmented and varies in color from white to yellow to pink to red.

Description

The evergreen grapefruit trees usually grow to around tall, although they may reach. The leaves are glossy, dark green, long, and thin. It produces white four-petaled flowers. The fruit is yellow-orange skinned and generally, an oblate spheroid in shape; it ranges in diameter from. The flesh is segmented and acidic, varying in color depending on the cultivars, which include white, pink, and red pulps of varying sweetness. The 1929 U.S. Ruby Red has the first grapefruit patent.

History

The genetic origin of the grapefruit is a hybrid mix. One ancestor of the grapefruit was the Jamaican sweet orange, itself an ancient hybrid of Asian origin; the other was the Indonesian pomelo. One story of the fruit's origin is that a certain "Captain Shaddock" brought pomelo seeds to Jamaica and bred the first fruit, although it probably originated as a naturally occurring hybrid between the two plants some time after they had been introduced there.
The hybrid fruit, then called "the forbidden fruit", was first documented in 1750 by a Welshman, Rev. Griffith Hughes, who described specimens from Barbados in The Natural History of Barbados. Currently, the grapefruit is said to be one of the "Seven Wonders of Barbados".
The grapefruit was brought to Florida by Count Odet Philippe in 1823, in what is now known as Safety Harbor. Further crosses have produced the tangelo, the Minneola tangelo, and the oroblanco.
The grapefruit was known as the shaddock or shattuck until the 19th century. Its current name alludes to clusters of the fruit on the tree, which often appear similar to those of grapes. Botanically, it was not distinguished from the pomelo until the 1830s, when it was given the name Citrus paradisi. Its true origins were not determined until the 1940s. This led to the official name being altered to Citrus × paradisi, the "×" identifying its hybrid origin.
An early pioneer in the American citrus industry was Kimball Atwood, a wealthy entrepreneur who founded the Atwood Grapefruit Company in the late 19th century. The Atwood Grove became the largest grapefruit grove in the world, with a yearly output of 80,000 boxes of fruit. There, pink grapefruit was first discovered in 1906.

Ruby Red

The 1929 Ruby Red patent was associated with real commercial success, which came after the discovery of a red grapefruit growing on a pink variety. Using radiation to trigger mutations, new varieties were developed to retain the red tones that typically faded to pink. The 'Rio Red' variety is 2007 Texas grapefruit with registered trademarks Rio Star and Ruby-Sweet, also sometimes promoted as Reddest and Texas Choice. The 'Rio Red' is a mutation-bred variety that was developed by treatment of bud sticks with thermal neutrons. Its improved attributes of mutant variety are fruit and juice color, deeper red, and wide adaptation.

'Star Ruby'

The 'Star Ruby' is the darkest of the red varieties. Developed from an irradiated 'Hudson' grapefruit, it has found limited commercial success because it is more difficult to grow than other varieties.

Varieties

The varieties of Texas and Florida grapefruit include: 'Oro Blanco', 'Ruby Red', 'Pink', 'Rio Star', 'Thompson', 'White Marsh', 'Flame', 'Star Ruby', 'Duncan', and 'Pummelo HB'.

Production

In 2018, world production of grapefruits was 9.4 million tonnes, led by China with 53% of the world total. Secondary producers were Vietnam and the United States.

Colors and flavors

Grapefruit varieties are differentiated by the flesh color of fruit they produce. Common varieties are red, white, and pink pulp colors. Flavors range from highly acidic and somewhat sour to sweet and tart, resulting from composition of sugars, organic acids, and monoterpenes and sesquiterpenes providing aromas.
Grapefruit mercaptan, a sulfur-containing terpene, is one of the aroma compounds influencing taste and odor of grapefruit, compared with other citrus fruits.

Drug interactions

Grapefruit and grapefruit juice have been found to interact with numerous drugs and in many cases, to result in adverse direct and/or side effects
This happens in two very different ways. In the first, the effect is from bergamottin, a natural furanocoumarin in both grapefruit flesh and peel that inhibits the CYP3A4 enzyme. The action of the CYP3A4 enzyme itself is to metabolize many medications. If the drug's breakdown for removal is lessened, then the level of the drug in the blood may become too high or stay too long, leading to adverse effects. On the other hand, some drugs must be broken down to become active, and inhibiting CYP3A4 may lead to reduced drug effects.
The other effect is that grapefruit can block the absorption of drugs in the intestine. If the drug is not absorbed, then not enough of it is in the blood to have a therapeutic effect. Each affected drug has either a specific increase of effect or decrease.
One whole grapefruit, or a glass of of grapefruit juice may cause drug overdose toxicity. Typically, drugs that are incompatible with grapefruit are so labeled on the container or package insert. People taking drugs should ask their health-care provider or pharmacist questions about grapefruit and drug interactions.

Nutrition

Raw grapefruit is 90% water, 8% carbohydrates, 1% protein, and negligible fat. In a 100-g reference amount, raw grapefruit provides 33 Calories and is a rich source of vitamin C, with no other micronutrients in significant content.

Citric acid

Grapefruit juice contains about half the citric acid of lime or lemon juice, and about 50% more citric acid than orange juice.

Grapefruit sweets

In Costa Rica, especially in Atenas, grapefruit are often cooked to remove their sourness, rendering them as sweets; they are also stuffed with dulce de leche, resulting in a dessert called toronja rellena. In Haiti, grapefruit is used primarily for its juice, but also is used to make jam.

Parasites

Grapefruits are one of the most common hosts for fruit flies such as A. suspensa, which lay their eggs in overripe or spoiled grapefruits. The larvae of these flies then consume the fruit to gain nutrients until they can proceed into the pupae stage. This parasitism has led to millions in economic costs for nations in Central America and southern North America.

Other uses

Grapefruit has also been investigated in cancer medicine pharmacodynamics. Its inhibiting effect on the metabolism of some drugs may allow smaller doses to be used, which can help to reduce costs.
Lifestyle magazines and websites sometimes recommend grapefruit as a stain remover for porcelain and enamel.

Grapefruit relatives

Grapefruit is a pomelo backcross, a hybrid of pomelo × sweet orange, with sweet orange itself being a pomelo × mandarin hybrid.
The grapefruit is a parent to many hybrids:
Related citrus fruits include: