title: Volatile constituents and antioxidant activity of peel, flowers and leaf oils of Citrus aurantium L. growing in Greece.
abstract: The volatile constituents of the essential oils of the peel, flower (neroli) and leaves (petitgrain) of bitter orange (Citrus aurantium L.) growing in Greece were studied by GC-MS. The analytical procedures enabled the quantitative determination of 31 components. More specifically, the components of the essential oils identified were: twelve in the peel, twenty-six in the flowers, and twenty and sixteen in old and young leaves, respectively. The major constituents of the different parts of Citrus aurantium L. essential oils were: β-pinene (0.62%-19.08%), limonene (0.53%-94.67%), trans-β-ocimene (3.11%-6.06%), linalool (0.76%-58.21%), and α-terpineol (0.13%-12.89%). The DPPH test demonstrated that the essential oils in the old leaves had the maximum antioxidant activity, followed by the flowers, young leaves and the peel in that order. This study updates the data in the literature on the essential oils of bitter orange, and provides information on the composition of the oils for a further evaluation of this product.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Pomology, School of Horticulture, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki 54124, Greece. irene_sr@windowslive.com
authors.forename: Eirini
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Sarrou
authors.forename: Paschalina
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Chatzopoulou
authors.forename: Kortessa
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Dimassi-Theriou
authors.forename: Ioannis
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Therios
mesh_terms: D001713:Biphenyl Compounds / Q000737:chemistry; D002957:Citrus / Q000737:chemistry*; D057168:Distillation; D035264:Flowers / Q000737:chemistry*; D016166:Free Radical Scavengers / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D005609:Free Radicals / Q000737:chemistry; D005638:Fruit / Q000737:chemistry*; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; D006115:Greece; D009822:Oils, Volatile / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification; D010851:Picrates / Q000737:chemistry; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000737:chemistry*; D010938:Plant Oils / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D052616:Solid Phase Extraction
chemical_list: D001713:Biphenyl Compounds; D016166:Free Radical Scavengers; D005609:Free Radicals; D009822:Oils, Volatile; D010851:Picrates; D010938:Plant Oils; C004931:1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl