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Updated: 04-07-13

ANTIOXIDANT POTENTIAL OF PEEL ESSENTIAL OILS OF THREE PAKISTANI CITRUS SPECIES: CITRUS RETICULATA, CITRUS SINENSIS AND CITRUS PARADISII

GHULAM MUSTAFA KAMAL¹, MUHAMMAD YASIN ASHRAF^1*, ABDULLAH IJAZ HUSSAIN²  ANDLEEB SHAHZADI³ AND MUHAMMAD ISMAIL CHUGHTAI¹

Abstract: Citrus peel essentials oils are a very important source of natural antioxidants. In the present study the essential oils isolated from peels of three Citrus species namely Citrus reticulate, Citrus sinensis  and Citrus paradisii were studied for their antioxidant potential. The hydro-distilled essential oil content from peels of C. reticulata, C. sinensis and C. paradisii were 0.30, 0.24 and 0.20 g/100g, respectively. The maximum amount of essential oil was found in C. reticulata while the minimum in C. paradisii peel samples. The essential oils isolated by hydro distillation were characterized using GC and GC/MS. The antioxidant activity of the investigated essential oils was evaluated by testing their ability to scavenge 2, 2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical, percent inhibition of linoleic acid peroxidation and bleachability of β-carotene in linoleic acid system. A significant difference was noticed in the antioxidant activities of the studied essential oils.

²Institute of Chemistry, GC University, Faisalabad, Pakistan

¹Nuclear Institute for Agriculture and Biology, P.O. Box 128 Faisalabad, Pakistan

³Department of Medical Pharmacology, Cerrahpasa, Istanbul University, Turkey

^*Corresponding author e-mail: niabmyashraf@gmail.com