article · Pharmaceuticals
Essential oil extracted from sweet orange, Citrus sinensis, along with its main constituent limonene, demonstrates notable therapeutic and dermatological properties in laboratory evaluations. Chemical profiling reveals that limonene makes up 70.15 percent of the oil, accompanied by minor compounds such as thujene, myrcene, and alpha-pinene. Both the whole essential oil and isolated limonene show clear antioxidant activity and reduce key inflammatory markers, specifically prostaglandin E2 and nitric oxide, in stimulated immune cells. In cellular tests, the substances exhibit selective cytotoxicity, significantly inhibiting HepG2 liver cancer cells while remaining minimally toxic to normal human skin fibroblasts. Furthermore, both agents inhibit the skin enzymes elastase and tyrosinase more effectively than the standard reference quercetin, pointing towards protective qualities for skin structure and pigmentation management.
Chronic inflammation, oxidative damage, and skin degradation present continuous healthcare and cosmetic challenges. By showing that a widely accessible natural byproduct contains compounds capable of reducing inflammation, suppressing specific cancer cells, and protecting skin-associated enzymes, this research highlights sustainable botanical alternatives for wellness and dermatological formulations without high toxicity to healthy skin cells.
The findings support potential applications in the cosmetic, nutraceutical, and pharmaceutical sectors, particularly for skin protection, anti-ageing products, and anti-inflammatory treatments. Product formulators and skincare developers could utilise these natural extracts as active ingredients. Because the evidence is derived exclusively from in vitro assays and cell cultures, the technology remains at an early laboratory stage requiring further formulation, safety, and clinical validation before commercial deployment.
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Background/Objectives: Essential oils (EOs) from Citrus species have attracted attention for their diverse properties, including anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and cytotoxic effects, which address critical health challenges such as chronic diseases and skin disorders. Citrus sinensis (L.) Osbeck, which is a widely cultivated citrus fruit, is attracting increasing attention in the field of medicinal research due to its richness of limonene (comprising approximately 85–90% of the oil). This study investigates the chemical profile of CS-EO and biological activities of CS-EO and limonene. Methods and Results: This study used gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS), confirming limonene as the predominant compound (70.15%) along with other minor constituents, including thujene (10.52%), myrcene (5.54%) and α-pinene (2.81%). The biological activities of CS-EO and limonene were examined, specifically focusing on their antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, cytotoxicity and dermatoprotective effects. Antioxidant potential was evaluated using DPPH, FRAP and beta-carotene assays, with CS-EO and limonene exhibiting comparable efficacy. Anti-inflammatory properties were assessed via inhibition assays of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) and nitric oxide (NO) production, showing significant reductions in LPS-stimulated macrophages treated by CS-EO or limonene. Cytotoxicity testing on various cell lines indicated selective activity of the tested compounds, with low toxicity observed on human skin fibroblasts. Limonene and CS-EO were highly effective on HepG2 cellules, with IC50 values of 0.55 ± 0.01 µg/mL and 15.97 ± 1.20 µg/mL, respectively. Dermatoprotective effects were further confirmed using enzymes, where CS-EO and limonene showed remarkable inhibitory potential against elastase (IC50 of 65.72 ± 1.92 and 86.07 ± 1.53 µg/mL, respectively) and tyrosinase (IC50 of 102 ± 2.16 and 78.34 ± 1.15 µg/mL, respectively) enzymes compared to quercetin used as a standard (IC50 of 111.03 ± 0.1 and 124.22 ± 0.07 µg/mL, respectively). Conclusions: The findings of this study suggest the potential for the development of new therapeutic approaches based on CS-EO, which could be applicable in the pharmaceutical, cosmetic and nutraceutical fields and have protective benefits for skin health.
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DOI: 10.3390/ph17121652
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