Biological Properties of a Citral-Enriched Fraction of Citrus limon Essential Oil

• Published in: Foods Vol. 9; no. 9; p. 1290
• Main Authors: Pucci, Marzia, Raimondo, Stefania, Zichittella, Chiara, Tinnirello, Vincenza, Corleone, Valeria, Aiello, Gioacchino, Moschetti, Marta, Conigliaro, Alice, Fontana, Simona, Alessandro, Riccardo
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 01-09-2020; MDPI
• Subjects: Chemical properties; citral; Citrus limon (L.) Osbeck; Composition; Essences and essential oils; essential oil; Identification and classification; inflammation; Lemons; nutraceuticals; oxidative stress; United Kingdom
• ISSN: 2304-8158; 2304-8158
• DOI: 10.3390/foods9091290

Lemon essential oil (LEO) is a well-known flavoring agent with versatile biological activities. In the present study, we have isolated and characterized four citral-enriched fractions of winter LEO. We reported that in murine and human macrophages the pre-treatment with a mix of these fractions (Cfr-LEO) reduces the expression of the pro-inflammatory cytokines TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6 induced by LPS. In addition, Cfr-LEO counteracts LPS-induced oxidative stress, as shown by the increase in the GSH/GSSG ratio in comparison to cells treated with LPS alone. Overall, the results reported here encourage the application of EO fractions, enriched in citral, in the nutraceutical industry, not only for its organoleptic properties but also for its protective action against inflammation and oxidative stress.