Use of Essential Oils of the Genus Citrus as Biocidal Agents

Marcos S. Gomes, Maria das G. Cardoso, Maurilio J. Soares, Luís R. Batista, Samísia M. F. Machado, Milene A. Andrade, Camila M. O. de Azeredo, Juliana Maria Valério Resende, Leonardo M. A. Rodrigues

Department of Chemistry, Federal University of Lavras, Lavras, Brazil.
Department of Chemistry, Federal University of Sergipe, S?o Cristóv?o, Brazil.
Department of Food Science, Federal University of Lavras, Lavras, Brazil.
Laboratory of Cell Biology, Instituto Carlos Chagas/Fiocruz, Curitiba, Brasil.

DOI: 10.4236/ajps.2014.53041                

Abstract

In this study, the essential oils extracted from the peels of Citrus aurantifolia, Citrus limon and Citrus sinensis were chemically characterized and quantified. These essential oils and their standards limonene, citral and limonene + citral were evaluated (at concentrations ranging from 500 to 3.91 mL·mL^-1) regarding their anti-trypanosome, antifungal and antibacterial activities. The chemical identification and quantification (by GC/FID and GC/MS) displayed the limonene as the major component of the three essential oils. It did not verified anti-trypanosome activity for all treatments. Regarding antimicrobial activity, the results were satisfactory against Gram-negative bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus, Listeria. monocytogenes and Salmonella cholerasuis) and funghi (Aspergillus niger, A. flavus and A. carbonarius), except for the bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa, which showed no inhibition for any treatment used.

Keywords

Volatile Essential Oil; Trypanosoma cruzi; Gram-Negative Bactéria; Funghi; Antimicrobial

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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