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
Affiliations
Marzia Pucci
Department of Biomedicine, Neuroscience and Advanced Diagnostics (Bi.N.D), Section of Biology and Genetics, University of Palermo, 90133 Palermo, Italy
Stefania Raimondo
Department of Biomedicine, Neuroscience and Advanced Diagnostics (Bi.N.D), Section of Biology and Genetics, University of Palermo, 90133 Palermo, Italy
Chiara Zichittella
Department of Biomedicine, Neuroscience and Advanced Diagnostics (Bi.N.D), Section of Biology and Genetics, University of Palermo, 90133 Palermo, Italy
Vincenza Tinnirello
Agrumaria Corleone s.p.a., Via S. Corleone, 12-Zona Ind. Brancaccio, 90124 Palermo, Italy
Valeria Corleone
Agrumaria Corleone s.p.a., Via S. Corleone, 12-Zona Ind. Brancaccio, 90124 Palermo, Italy
Gioacchino Aiello
Agrumaria Corleone s.p.a., Via S. Corleone, 12-Zona Ind. Brancaccio, 90124 Palermo, Italy
Marta Moschetti
Department of Biomedicine, Neuroscience and Advanced Diagnostics (Bi.N.D), Section of Biology and Genetics, University of Palermo, 90133 Palermo, Italy
Alice Conigliaro
Department of Biomedicine, Neuroscience and Advanced Diagnostics (Bi.N.D), Section of Biology and Genetics, University of Palermo, 90133 Palermo, Italy
Simona Fontana
Department of Biomedicine, Neuroscience and Advanced Diagnostics (Bi.N.D), Section of Biology and Genetics, University of Palermo, 90133 Palermo, Italy
Riccardo Alessandro
Department of Biomedicine, Neuroscience and Advanced Diagnostics (Bi.N.D), Section of Biology and Genetics, University of Palermo, 90133 Palermo, Italy
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.
