Calamansi: The Next

Wonder Fruit
By
Helen del Rosario
Soyuz Foods International, Inc.
I. Inside SFII

II. Results of Years of Research

III. Impact on Human Health

IV. Where Do We Go From Here

 Mission: To forge partnership with farmers
groups and agriculture entrepreneurs through
sustainable development initiatives, in order to
improve their living conditions and minimize poverty
in the farming sector.

Vision: To export our native calamansi

(citrofortunella microcarpa) and other citrus fruits in
single strength, concentrate and powdered form
with quality that meets international standards.
 Pectin
 Used as stabilizer in medicines
 Anti-inflammatory agent to relieve pain of arthritis
and hemorrhoids
 Heavy metal poisoning chelator
 Lowers high cholesterol
 Limonene
 Used in cancer treatment and prevention
 Also has applications for weight loss and bronchitis
 Dietary Fiber
 Regularizes bowel movement, removes toxic wastes
 Lowers total cholesterol (hypolipidemic activity)
 Synephrine
 Stimulant found in weight loss products
 Neo-decongestant and broncho-dilator
 Prevents premature labor contractions
 Pupil (eye) dilator

 Hyaluronic Acid
 Used in cosmetic products
 Ferrulic Acid
 Inhibits progression of Alzheimers Disease
 Applications in treatment of auto-immune disease
Soyuz Foods International Inc.(SFII) in cooperation
with the Davao Medical School Foundation (DMSF)
has conducted preliminary clinical studies on the
impact of calamansi on:
 Prevention of Colds

 Blood pressure

 Lipid profiles (cholesterol)

Parallel studies conducted on the Antiangiogenic and

Antioxidant Properties of Calamansi Peel by the
University of Immaculate Conception (UIC)
 40 healthy respondents, male and female, 18 to
60 years old, were divided into two groups
 One group treated daily with 50ml of pure
calamansi extract, the other group with 50ml of
flavored water
 Both groups were monitored for incidence of
common colds over a 2 month period

The difference in incidence of common cold

between control and treatment groups was
determined to be insignificant.
Explanation for negative findings:
 Treatment group was given processed
(pasteurized) calamansi extract
 Heat used in pasteurization is known to remove
Vitamin C, among others
Recommendations:
 Focus on cold alleviation instead of prevention
(Synephrine, a neo-decongestant is found in
calamansi)
 Conduct larger study covering a longer period to
increase statistical determination
 Use fresh calamansi instead of pasteurized extract
if effect on prevention is to be measured
 30 pre-hypertensive subjects divided into
experimental and control groups
 Both groups asked to follow the same restricted
diet for 30 days
 Experimental group were also given 50ml of
processed pure calamansi extract daily
 Mean arterial pressures before and after the
trials were compared
After 30 days:
 The average decline in mean arterial pressure
was higher in the experimental group, though
not statistically significant

Recommendation:
 Conduct larger study covering a longer period
to increase statistical determination (reduction
in blood pressure of both experimental and
control groups.
 30 days was too small to provide statistical
significance)
 22 male subjects, between 20 to 55 years old,
with LDL levels below 130mg/dL randomly
divided into experimental and control groups
 Both groups were briefed on the importance of
regular exercise and a balanced diet
 Experimental group took 50ml of processed
pure calamansi extract daily, while control
group were given 50ml of flavored water
 Serum lipid profiles before and after 30 days of
the trial were compared
After 30 days:
 The experimental group’s lipid profile:
 Mean total cholesterol declined from 213 to 199
 Mean LDL (bad cholesterol) declined from 116 to 46
 Mean HDL (good cholesterol) improved 46 to 115
 Unfortunately, the improvements were not
found to be statistically significant compared to
control
Recommendation:
 Conduct larger study covering a longer period
to increase statistical determination
 Calamansi oil from peel has antiangiogenic
and antioxidant properties
 Prevents formation of new blood vessels that
may lead to producing tumors
 Potent to scavenge free radicals and help
maintain a strong immune system
 Can inhibit rheumatoid arthritis and the
propagation of cancer cells
 Pure calamansi oil is non-toxic up to 2,000mg
per kg of body weight
 Effect of Calamansi Pectin on Plasma Lipid Profile
in Hypercholesterolemic Rabbits
(Dr Eva San Juan, UIC Davao City)
 Calamansi Oil as Anti-Cariogenic for Strptococcus
Mutans and Lactobacillus Acidophilus (Destin
Mahinay, UIC Davao City)

Thesis Topics
1. What are the important amino acids in calamansi?
2. What components in calamansi has anti-
histaminic activity?
3. Calamansi vs Glutathione
4. Synephrine for weight loss
 For calamansi to be accepted for use in
pharmaceuticals, there must be enough supply
of produce from certified and qualified farms
 Processors need to be trained on proper and
effective extraction of components needed
 Clinical studies to support the efficacy of
calamansi against various illnesses need to be
conducted, preferably by Filipinos
 Ateneo de Davao, Chemistry Department
 University of Immaculate Conception,
Pharmacy Department
 Department of Science and Technology
 Davao Medical School Foundation
 Philippine Institute of Traditional and
Alternative Health Care
 Davao Herbal Research and Processing Plant
 Philippine Institute of Pure and Applied
Chemistry (PIPAC)
“Take one step, you don’t have to see
the whole staircase, just take one step.”
-Martin Luther King

THANK YOU
Calamansi . . . .

“Small fruit, BIG dream”

THANK YOU