Chemical composition and in-vitro antioxidant and antimicrobial activity of the essential oil of Citrus aurantifolia L. leaves grown in Eastern Oman

OBJECTIVES: This study investigated the chemical composition and the antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of the essential oil isolated from the aerial parts of Citrus aurantifolia L. METHODS: Fresh Citrus aurantifolia L. leaves were collected from farms in Sur city, located in the Al-Sharqia (Eastern) region of the Sultanate of Oman, during June–July of 2015. The essential oil was isolated using hydrodistillation. Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) was used to identify and quantify the chemical constituents of the oil. An in-vitro 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radical scavenging method was used to determine the antioxidant activity of the isolated oil from the lime leaves while a disc diffusion method was used to evaluate the antibacterial activity against Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria. RESULTS: Thirty-three chemical compounds were identified, with d-limonene (63.35%) forming the major constituent. Other prominent constituents include 3,7-dimethyl-2,6-octadien-1-ol (7.07%), geraniol (6.23%), E-citral (4.35%), Z-citral (3.29%), and β-ocimene (2.25%). The essential oil of Citrus aurantifolia L. leaves showed excellent antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus and moderate activity against pathogenic Escherichia coli strains. The oil exhibited promising in-vitro antioxidant activity (IC(50) value = 21.57 μg/mL) but showed moderate antibacterial activities. CONCLUSIONS: The essential oil from Omani lime leaves is characterized by a high d-limonene content, making it useful for food, pharmaceutical, and perfumery industries.