Interprofessional Journal of Health Sciences. Vol.13 No.1 , January - June 2015.

CHEMICAL CONSTITUENTS AND BIOLOGICAL ACTIVITIES OF FORTUNELLA JAPONICA ESSENTIAL OILS

Supawan Bunrathep, Sirima Soodvilai, Sukanya Settharaksa, and Chanida Palanuvej

Abstract

Essential oils of Fortunella japonica (syn. Citrus japonica) were obtained by hydrodistillation on its leaves and peels.  The essential oil compounds were identified by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS).  Major constituents of leaf oil were β-pinene (47.44%), d-limonene (10.24%), and linalool (9.79%), meanwhile d-limonene (87.07%) was the most abundant constituent in peel essential oil.  The antioxidant activities of these oils were evaluated by using stable 1,1-diphenyl 2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radical scavenging method.  Antioxidant activities were exhibited as percentage of DPPH radical inhibition and IC₅₀ values (μg/ml) were compared with synthetic vitamin E and butylated hydroxyltoluene (BHT).  Leaf and peel essential oils showed antioxidant potential with the IC₅₀ of 53.11 and 102.11 μg/ml, respectively.  Both of these oils also demonstrated antibacterial activity against Bacillus subtilis ATCC 6633 and Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923, but no activity against Escherichia coli ATCC 25922 and Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 27853.

Keywords: Fortunella japonica, essential oil, antioxidant

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