Foods (Sep 2020)

Biological Properties of a Citral-Enriched Fraction of <i>Citrus limon</i> Essential Oil

  • Marzia Pucci,
  • Stefania Raimondo,
  • Chiara Zichittella,
  • Vincenza Tinnirello,
  • Valeria Corleone,
  • Gioacchino Aiello,
  • Marta Moschetti,
  • Alice Conigliaro,
  • Simona Fontana,
  • Riccardo Alessandro

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3390/foods9091290
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 9, no. 9
p. 1290

Abstract

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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.

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