Moro Orange Extract

What is Moro orange extract?

The Moro orange is a blood orange variety grown in Sicily, including around Mount Etna. Its red flesh comes from anthocyanins, the same pigments found in berries, and it also contains hydroxycinnamic acids, flavanones and vitamin C. Morosil is a branded, standardized extract of Moro orange juice that is sold to supplement makers, mainly for weight management products.

What the research says

Weight and body fat

In a 12-week trial in healthy adults with overweight, 400 mg a day of Moro juice extract led to greater reductions in body weight, body mass index, and waist and hip size than placebo (Cardile et al., 2015). A 2025 meta-analysis that pooled three randomized trials with 252 participants found an average extra weight loss of about 2 kg and about 1.5 kg less fat mass compared with placebo, with no change in lean mass (Campos et al., 2025). The authors noted that the optimal dose and duration are still unknown. Three small trials, several linked to the ingredient’s developers, are a modest evidence base.

Brain and cognition

Moro orange extract appears in at least one brain formula, described as supporting antioxidant defense and nutrient absorption. We found no human research on Moro orange extract and memory, focus or mental clarity, and no evidence that it improves the absorption of other supplement ingredients. Laboratory studies show that anthocyanins act as antioxidants, but antioxidant activity in a test tube is not the same as a measurable benefit for thinking or memory in people.

How it’s used in supplements

Morosil is mainly used in weight management products at the 400 mg dose from the trials. In other blends, the amount is often not disclosed, which makes it impossible to compare with the research. When a product does list Morosil, check that the amount is close to 400 mg, since that is the only dose with published human data. Eating whole blood oranges and other colorful fruit provides anthocyanins along with fiber, but that is not the same as the concentrated extract studied.

The trials did not report notable side effects. People with a citrus allergy should avoid it, and anyone taking several medicines should ask a pharmacist before adding a concentrated extract. Safety in pregnancy and breastfeeding has not been studied. As with any weight-focused ingredient, results in trials were modest and came alongside usual diet and activity, so it should not be seen as a replacement for those habits.