Antifungal activity of lemon ( Citrus lemon L.), mandarin ( Citrus reticulata L.), grapefruit ( Citrus paradisi L.) and orange ( Citrus sinensis L.) essential oils

The objective of this work was to study the effect of the essential oils of lemon ( Citrus lemon L.), mandarin ( Citrus reticulata L.), grapefruit ( Citrus paradisi L.) and orange ( Citrus sinensis L.) on the growth of moulds commonly associated with food spoilage: Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus fla...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Food control 2008-12, Vol.19 (12), p.1130-1138
Main Authors: Viuda-Martos, M., Ruiz-Navajas, Y., Fernández-López, J., Pérez-Álvarez, J.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
antifungal properties
Aspergillus flavus
Aspergillus niger
Citrics
Citrus limon
Citrus paradisi
Citrus reticulata
Citrus sinensis
Essential oils
grapefruits
lemons
mandarins
microbial growth
Moulds
oranges
Penicillium chrysogenum
Penicillium verrucosum
species differences
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Summary:The objective of this work was to study the effect of the essential oils of lemon ( Citrus lemon L.), mandarin ( Citrus reticulata L.), grapefruit ( Citrus paradisi L.) and orange ( Citrus sinensis L.) on the growth of moulds commonly associated with food spoilage: Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus flavus, Penicillium chrysogenum and Penicillium verrucosum, using the agar dilution method. All the oils showed antifungal activity against all the moulds. Orange essential oil was the most effective against A. niger, mandarin essential oil was most effective at reducing the growth of Aspergillus flavus while grapefruit was the best inhibitor of the moulds P. chrysogenum and P. verrucosum. Citrus essential oils could be considered suitable alternatives to chemical additives for use in the food industry.
ISSN:0956-7135
1873-7129
DOI:10.1016/j.foodcont.2007.12.003