ntimicrobial, antioxidant, hematologic and cytotoxic properties of Citrus limon L. essential oil

In the present study the antimicrobial، antioxidative، hematologic and cytotoxic properties of Citrus limon L. essential oil were studied. The bacterial strains sensitive to Citrus limon L. oil were in the following order: E. coli> K. pneumonia> S. aureus> Streptococcus faecalis> Candida albicans> P. aeruginosa. The minimum inhibitory and bactericidal concentrations of the fresh oil were determined. The essential oils had good bactericidal and bacteriostatic properties except for P. aeruginosa. Antioxidative property of the oil was carried out by using beta-carotene bleaching test and the results were compared to the standard synthetic antioxidants. Lipid peroxidation inhibitions were comparable or higher than the synthetic antioxidant BHT and BHA. The oil concentration required for 50% free radical scavenging (IC50) was 22. 81 μg/ml with total phenol contents of 57. 43 μg GAE/mg for C. limon L. oil. Ferric-reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) in the blood sera of the rats gavaged with a daily dose of 100 µl oil increased. Therapeutic effects were noted as a result of feeding the rats with lemon essential oil. The volatile oil of lemon displayed cytotoxic effects on the human tumor cell line (Hela cells) and peripheral blood cells with the IC50 of 0. 97 and 0. 57μg/ml respectively. The results showed that the lemon oil might be consumed with precautions after dose determination.