Volume 1, Issue 2

Chemical composition and biological activities of peels and leaves essential oils of four cultivars of Citrus deliciosa var. tangarina

 

Author(s): Seham S. El-hawary, Kamilia F. Taha, Azza R. Abdel-Monem, Farid N. Kirillos, Amira A. Mohamed.

Abstract: The hydrodistilled essential oils of peels and leaves of four cultivars of Citrus deliciosa var. tangarina (Fina Clementine, Nour Clementine, Spinosa Clementine and Thornless Clementine) belonging to family Rutaceae were analyzed by GC/MS. Limonene was the major constituent of all the oil samples under investigation except in case of Nour Clementine leaves, where sabinene was the major component. Generally, total hydrocarbons were of higher percentage than total oxygenated compounds, also total monoterpenes showed higher percentage than total sesquiterpenes. The studied essential oils showed a dose- dependent antioxidant activity. Thornless leaves oil showed the highest antioxidant potential, it recorded the same EC50 as ascorbic acid. The antimicrobial activity of Citrus peels and leaves oils was screened against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, yeast and fungi. Leaves oils showed higher antimicrobial activity than peels oils against all the tested microorganisms among them Thorny Clementine leaves oil was the most potent. Peels oils were tested for cytotoxic activity against liver, cervix, breast carcinoma and normal baby hamster kidney fibroblast cell lines. Peels oils showed potent cytotoxic activity against the tested carcinoma cell lines comparing to doxorubicin, while they exhibited no effect on normal baby hamster kidney fibroblast cell line which indicated their safety. The antiviral activity of the studied essential oils was tested by hem agglutination test of washed chicken erythrocytes. The allantoic amniotic fluid of embryonatic eggs inoculated with different Citrus essential oils under investigation, suspension of H5N1 virus and antibiotic gave a positive test, this indicates inactivated H5N1 virus.

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