Volatile components, antioxidant and antimicrobial activity of Citrus acida var. sour lime peel oil

Abstract Essential oil of Citrus acida Roxb. var. sour lime was analyzed by GC–MS. Out of 59 components 18 were identified from their fragmentation pattern. Among the identified constituents, o-cymene (16.62%) was found as a major component followed by α-cedrene (10.57%), decadienal (8.043%), bisabolene (5.066%) and β-humelene (4.135%). Citronellyl acetate (2.371%), linalool acetate (2.371%), carvone (1.806%), decanone (1.474%), isopulegol acetate (1.296%), farnesol (1.254%), 4′-methoxyacetophenone (1.207%), and Δ-carene (1.070%) were found in minor quantities whereas α-terpineole (0.607%), dihydroxylinalool acetate (0.650%), cis-nerone (0.574%), caryophyllene oxide (0.433%), and 2,2-dimethyl-3,4-octadienal (0.375%) were found in minute amounts. The antimicrobial activity of the essential oil of C. acida was determined by disc diffusion method, against different bacteria (Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus cereus, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Enterobacter aerogenes, Salmonella typhymurium) and fungi (Aspergillus ficuum, Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus fumigatus, Aspergillus flavis, Fusarium saloni, Fusarium oxysporum, Pencillium digitatum, Candida utilis). Maximum zone of inhibition was resulted against B. subtilis (22 mm) followed by C. utilis (20 mm) and B. cereus (19.8 mm), whereas the minimum zone of inhibition was shown by P. digitatum (10 mm). The inhibition zones, measured after 48 h and 96 h, showed that it is active against all tested bacteria and fungi. The results of antioxidant activity of essential oil of C. acida var. sour lime showed that it was able to reduce the stable radical DPPH to yellow-colored DPPH-H reaching 91.7% of DPPH scavenging effect comparative to ascorbic acid being a strong antioxidant reagent.