Chemical Composition and in Vitro Antimicrobial, Cytotoxic, and Central Nervous System Activities of the Essential Oils of Citrus medica L. cv. ‘Liscia’ and C. medica cv. ‘Rugosa’ Cultivated in Southern Italy

Essential oils (EOs) from two Citrus medica cultivars, 'liscia' and 'rugosa,' cultivated along the Amalfi Coast, show promising antimicrobial properties against key pathogens, including Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, and Bacillus cereus strains. These findings validate traditional uses of citron peels as food preservatives and suggest potential for EOs in medical applications. The study identified 100 compounds in the oils, with limonene (62.8–67.2%) and camphene (8.5–10.9%) as dominant constituents. Additionally, 'rugosa' EO demonstrated dose-dependent inhibitory effects on bacterial growth and influenced adenylate cyclase 1 (ADCY1) expression in neuronal cells, hinting at neuroactive properties of limonene. The research employed GC-MS analysis to characterize the oils and in vitro assays to assess antimicrobial, cytotoxic, and CNS activities.

Aliberti, L., Caputo, L., De Feo, V., De Martino, L., Nazzaro, F., & Souza, L. (2016). Chemical Composition and in Vitro Antimicrobial, Cytotoxic, and Central Nervous System Activities of the Essential Oils of Citrus medica L. cv. ‘Liscia’ and C. medica cv. ‘Rugosa’ Cultivated in Southern Italy. Molecules, 21(9), 1244. https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules21091244