The best studies on intake, properties, phytochemistry of chinotto.

Plastina P, Apriantini A, Meijerink J, Witkamp R, Gabriele B, Fazio A. In Vitro Anti-Inflammatory and Radical Scavenging Properties of Chinotto (Citrus myrtifolia Raf.) Essential Oils. Nutrients. 2018 Jun 18;10(6):783. doi: 10.3390/nu10060783. PMID: 29912150; PMCID: PMC6024861.

Protti M, Valle F, Poli F, Raggi MA, Mercolini L. Bioactive molecules as authenticity markers of Italian Chinotto (Citrus×myrtifolia) fruits and beverages. J Pharm Biomed Anal. 2015 Feb;104:75-80. doi: 10.1016/j.jpba.2014.11.024. Epub 2014 Nov 20.

Servillo L, Giovane A, D'Onofrio N, Casale R, Cautela D, Ferrari G, Balestrieri ML, Castaldo D. N-methylated derivatives of tyramine in citrus genus plants: identification of N,N,N-trimethyltyramine (candicine). J Agric Food Chem. 2014 Mar 26;62(12):2679-84. doi: 10.1021/jf5001698. 

Characterization of polyphenolic compounds in unripe chinotto (Citrus myrtifolia) fruit by HPLC/PDA/ESI/MS-MS.
Scordino M, Sabatino L, Belligno A, Gagliano G.
Nat Prod Commun. 2011 Dec;6(12):1857-62.

Betaines in fruits of Citrus genus plants.
Servillo L, Giovane A, Balestrieri ML, Bata-Csere A, Cautela D, Castaldo D.
J Agric Food Chem. 2011 Sep 14;59(17):9410-6. doi: 10.1021/jf2014815.

Antiproliferative activity of Citrus juices and HPLC evaluation of their flavonoid composition.
Camarda L, Di Stefano V, Del Bosco SF, Schillaci D.
Fitoterapia. 2007 Sep;78(6):426-9. 

Chinotto is the fruit of the Citrus myrtifolia plant native to China and which is grown in Italy in some Italian regions such as Liguria, Tuscany, Sicily and Calabria.

The plant is decorative and reaches a height of 3 meters.

It is sometimes called improperly bergamot (Citrus bergamia Risso), but these are two different plants even if they belong to the citrus species.

The taste is very bitter and therefore you can not eat raw, but it must be processed to take on a bitter taste and be subsequently placed in drinks, aperitifs and sweets.

The qualitative and quantitative composition of the chinotto shows several flavonoids, mainly found in juice (1).

Recent studies have shown the anti-inflammatory activity of chinotto essential oil where lemon, linalool, acetate linalyl, and terpinene (2) were found.

Chinotto studies

References__________________________________________

(1) Characterization of polyphenolic compounds in unripe chinotto (Citrus myrtifolia) fruit by HPLC/PDA/ESI/MS-MS.
Scordino M, Sabatino L, Belligno A, Gagliano G.
Nat Prod Commun. 2011 Dec;6(12):1857-62

Flavonoid composition and antioxidant activity of juices from Chinotto (Citrus x myrtifolia Raf.) fruits at different ripening stages.
Barreca D, Bellocco E, Caristi C, Leuzzi U, Gattuso G.
J Agric Food Chem. 2010 Mar 10;58(5):3031-6. doi: 10.1021/jf9044809

(2) In Vitro Anti-Inflammatory and Radical Scavenging Properties of Chinotto (Citrus myrtifolia Raf.) Essential Oils.
Plastina P, Apriantini A, Meijerink J, Witkamp R, Gabriele B, Fazio A.
Nutrients. 2018 Jun 18;10(6). pii: E783. doi: 10.3390/nu10060783.