Pharmacological action of different citrus species (studies
Abstract
The genus Citrus belongs to family Rutaceae, which is characterized by trees and bushes. Citrus species are extensively cultivated throughout the world because of their multiple health benefits for humans and their applications in pharmaceutical and food industries. This chapter is a survey covering in vitro and in vivo studies that demonstrate the pharmacological activities of various Citrus species. The species Citrus aurantium, Citrus sinensis, Citrus limon, and Citrus bergamia are well known and several studies have been carried out to evaluate the pharmacological effects of their extracts, essential oils, and isolated constituents. These studies have found that they possess anxiolytic, anti‐inflammatory, hypoglycemic, anthelmintic, anticancer, and anti‐infective properties.
Keywords
- Citrus
- Pharmacology
- Citrus aurantium
- Citrus sinensis
- Citrus limon
- Citrus bergamia
1. Introduction
The genus
In medicine,
To further understand the therapeutic potential of different
2. Citrus species with pharmacological activity
2.1. Citrus aurantium L
The species
Ethnopharmacological studies in Brazilian communities (documentation of the empirical uses of medicinal plants in traditional communities) describe the popular use of
Studies have focused on the investigation of
In a study conducted by Leite et al., 12 rats were evaluated in two models of anxiety: elevated plus maze and open field maze models. The rats were previously made to inhale the essential oil from
Clinical trials testing the anxiolytic effect of
Its anxiolytic effect was also tested before labor. In a certain study, 18–35‐year‐old primiparous women were subjected to aromatherapy with
Several studies have been conducted to identify other possible actions of
Using a rat model of diabetes, researchers evaluated the possible hypoglycemic effect of neohesperidin derived from
Finally, although
2.2. Citrus sinensis
The species
An ethnobotanical survey in a Brazilian community identified the species
The traditional use of
Researchers induced liver cirrhosis in rats for 16 weeks and treated the animals with
Another study investigated the effects of the
In 2010, Faturi et al. demonstrated that the essential oil from
In a clinical study conducted on patients waiting for dental care, a group of the patients inhaled sweet orange essential oil in the waiting room, a second group listened to music, and the third group, which was the control group, did not receive any intervention. The results showed that the patients who inhaled the essential oil were calmer and had lower anxiety levels than the patients of the other groups [28].
Results obtained by Goes et al. in 2012 demonstrated the anxiolytic effect of the
The results presented here support the use of
2.3. Citrus bergamia
The fruit of
There are evidences that
The anti‐infective properties of
In addition, favorable results were obtained regarding its pharmacological properties in nervous system disorders. Sometimes, the essential oil from
In a study carried out on rats to investigate the anxiolytic activity of
Clinical studies have also reported beneficial effects of
Some studies demonstrated that the essential oil from
However, the poor water solubility, weak stability, and limited bioavailability of essential oils have prevented their use in cancer therapy. Nevertheless, due to the favorable results regarding the anticancer action of the essential oil from
In order to elucidate the mechanisms by which the essential oil from
Regarding the protective cardiovascular properties, Di Donna et al. established a rat model in 2014 to investigate the hypocholesterolemic effect of 3‐hydroxy‐3‐methyl‐glutaryl flavanones enriched fraction (HMGF), extracted from
Although all the pharmacological effects of
2.4. Citrus limon
The Latin name of lemon is
Recently, some of the therapeutic properties of
Production networks of lemon generate large amounts of wastes and by‐products, which are an important source of bioactive compounds with potential applications in animal feeding, processed foods, and health care [49]. Although its health benefits are always attributed to its vitamin C content, recently, it has been found that flavonoids also play an important role [48]. Some authors suggest that flavonoids present in lemon have different biological functions, including antioxidant, anti‐inflammatory, antiallergic, antiviral, antiproliferative, antimutagenic, and anticancer activities [48].
Hesperidin, which is the main flavonoid in
Trovato et al. conducted a study on rats in 1996 and found that
Another study investigated the protective effect of the essential oil from
Regarding the pharmacological effects on the central nervous system, a recent study conducted by Khan and Riaz evaluated the effects of lemon on the behavior of rats, using three different doses (0.2, 0.4, and 0.6 ml/kg), considered low, moderate, and high doses, respectively. The anxiolytic and antidepressant activities were evaluated twice, for 15 days, using the open field, elevated plus maze, and forced swimming tests. In the open field test,
It has been noted that disorders such as anxiety and depression can be managed through healthier variations in dietary patterns, since there is evidence that a diet rich in antioxidants and vitamins reduces these symptoms. Accordingly, a study was performed in order to evaluate the behavioral effects of
In another study conducted by Riaz et al. in 2014, the effect of
Hesperidin extracted from
Regarding the anti‐inflammatory activities described for
Since
In conclusion,
3. Conclusion
Citrus species | Pharmacological action |
---|---|
Gastrointestinal stimulant and general tonic. Treatment of central nervous system disorders like insomnia, anxiety, and hysteria. Relieve stomach cramps and constipation, combat stomach acidity. Hypoglycemic effect. Anti‐inflammatory. Anxiolytic effect. | |
Sedative action. Anthelmintic properties. Treatment of liver cirrhosis. Antidiabetic properties. Anxiolytic effect. | |
Antibacterial. Antifungal. Anti‐inflammatory. Analgesic. Antiproliferative and anticancer properties. Neuropsychopharmacological. Neuroprotective. Anxiolytic activity. Hypoglycemic and hypolipidemic activities. | |
Analgesic. Anti‐anemic. Anti‐sclerotic. Antipyretic. Antiseptic. Emollient and moisturizer properties. Anti‐diarrheal. Diuretic. Intestinal mucosa protector. Local hemostatic. Vascular stimulant and protector. Antioxidant. Antiallergic. Antiviral. Anti‐inflammatory. Antiproliferative, antimutagenic, and anticancer activities. |
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