Lemongrass (Cymbopogon citratus) Essential Oil: Extraction, Composition, Bioactivity and Uses for Food Preservation – a Review
Lemongrass essential oil comes from the lemongrass plant ( Cymbopogon citratus ), which grows mainly in tropical and subtropical parts of the world. The prefix ‘lemon’ indicates its typical lemon-like odour, which is caused mainly by the presence of citral. Citral is a combination of two stereoisome...
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Institute of Animal Reproduction and Food Research of the Polish Academy of Sciences
2019-11-01
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| Series: | Polish Journal of Food and Nutrition Sciences |
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| Online Access: | http://www.journalssystem.com/pjfns/Lemongrass-Cymbopogon-citratus-essential-oil-extraction-composition-bioactivity-and,113152,0,2.html |
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| author | Ewa Majewska Mariola Kozłowska Eliza Gruczyńska-Sękowska Dorota Kowalska Katarzyna Tarnowska |
| author_facet | Ewa Majewska Mariola Kozłowska Eliza Gruczyńska-Sękowska Dorota Kowalska Katarzyna Tarnowska |
| author_sort | Ewa Majewska |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Lemongrass essential oil comes from the lemongrass plant ( Cymbopogon citratus ), which grows mainly in tropical and subtropical parts of the world. The prefix ‘lemon’ indicates its typical lemon-like odour, which is caused mainly by the presence of citral. Citral is a combination of two stereoisomeric monoterpene aldehydes; the trans isomer geranial is in predominance to the cis isomer neral. Lemongrass essential oil has been used since ancient times in folk medicine as a remedy to improve circulation, stabilise menstrual cycles, promote digestion or increase immunity. It is also used to produce perfumes, flavours, detergents, and pharmaceuticals. The method found to be the most suitable for the extraction of lemongrass essential oil is steam distillation, since it allows obtaining the oil without altering product quality. The chemical composition of the essential oil of C. citratus varies according to the geographical origin, farming practices, plant age, photoperiod, harvest period, genetic differences, and extraction methods. The chemical constituents of the essential oil which have constantly been detected and determine its biological activity are aldehydes, hydrocarbon terpenes, alcohols, ketones, and esters. The lemongrass essential oil shows a wide spectrum of biological activities. High antibacterial and remarkable antifungal activities make the lemongrass oil a potential food preservative. This paper reviews recent information on extraction methods of lemongrass essential oil, its chemical composition depending on the origin of the plant, bioactivity of the oil constituents as well as potential application as a food preservative. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-4daff8d3e1084ef6ae612e41eb0301d9 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2083-6007 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2019-11-01 |
| publisher | Institute of Animal Reproduction and Food Research of the Polish Academy of Sciences |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Polish Journal of Food and Nutrition Sciences |
| spelling | doaj-art-4daff8d3e1084ef6ae612e41eb0301d92025-02-02T01:15:21ZengInstitute of Animal Reproduction and Food Research of the Polish Academy of SciencesPolish Journal of Food and Nutrition Sciences2083-60072019-11-0169432734110.31883/pjfns/113152113152Lemongrass (Cymbopogon citratus) Essential Oil: Extraction, Composition, Bioactivity and Uses for Food Preservation – a ReviewEwa Majewska0Mariola Kozłowska1Eliza Gruczyńska-Sękowska2Dorota Kowalska3Katarzyna Tarnowska4Department of Chemistry, Institute of Food Sciences, Warsaw University of Life Sciences, Nowoursynowska 159C, 02-767 Warsaw, PolandDepartment of Chemistry, Institute of Food Sciences, Warsaw University of Life Sciences, Nowoursynowska 159C, 02-767 Warsaw, PolandDepartment of Chemistry, Institute of Food Sciences, Warsaw University of Life Sciences, Nowoursynowska 159C, 02-767 Warsaw, PolandDepartment of Chemistry, Institute of Food Sciences, Warsaw University of Life Sciences, Nowoursynowska 159C, 02-767 Warsaw, PolandDepartment of Chemistry, Institute of Food Sciences, Warsaw University of Life Sciences, Nowoursynowska 159C, 02-767 Warsaw, PolandLemongrass essential oil comes from the lemongrass plant ( Cymbopogon citratus ), which grows mainly in tropical and subtropical parts of the world. The prefix ‘lemon’ indicates its typical lemon-like odour, which is caused mainly by the presence of citral. Citral is a combination of two stereoisomeric monoterpene aldehydes; the trans isomer geranial is in predominance to the cis isomer neral. Lemongrass essential oil has been used since ancient times in folk medicine as a remedy to improve circulation, stabilise menstrual cycles, promote digestion or increase immunity. It is also used to produce perfumes, flavours, detergents, and pharmaceuticals. The method found to be the most suitable for the extraction of lemongrass essential oil is steam distillation, since it allows obtaining the oil without altering product quality. The chemical composition of the essential oil of C. citratus varies according to the geographical origin, farming practices, plant age, photoperiod, harvest period, genetic differences, and extraction methods. The chemical constituents of the essential oil which have constantly been detected and determine its biological activity are aldehydes, hydrocarbon terpenes, alcohols, ketones, and esters. The lemongrass essential oil shows a wide spectrum of biological activities. High antibacterial and remarkable antifungal activities make the lemongrass oil a potential food preservative. This paper reviews recent information on extraction methods of lemongrass essential oil, its chemical composition depending on the origin of the plant, bioactivity of the oil constituents as well as potential application as a food preservative.http://www.journalssystem.com/pjfns/Lemongrass-Cymbopogon-citratus-essential-oil-extraction-composition-bioactivity-and,113152,0,2.htmllemongrasscymbopogon citratusessential oilscitralantimicrobial activityfood preservation |
| spellingShingle | Ewa Majewska Mariola Kozłowska Eliza Gruczyńska-Sękowska Dorota Kowalska Katarzyna Tarnowska Lemongrass (Cymbopogon citratus) Essential Oil: Extraction, Composition, Bioactivity and Uses for Food Preservation – a Review Polish Journal of Food and Nutrition Sciences lemongrass cymbopogon citratus essential oils citral antimicrobial activity food preservation |
| title | Lemongrass (Cymbopogon citratus) Essential Oil: Extraction, Composition, Bioactivity and Uses for Food Preservation – a Review |
| title_full | Lemongrass (Cymbopogon citratus) Essential Oil: Extraction, Composition, Bioactivity and Uses for Food Preservation – a Review |
| title_fullStr | Lemongrass (Cymbopogon citratus) Essential Oil: Extraction, Composition, Bioactivity and Uses for Food Preservation – a Review |
| title_full_unstemmed | Lemongrass (Cymbopogon citratus) Essential Oil: Extraction, Composition, Bioactivity and Uses for Food Preservation – a Review |
| title_short | Lemongrass (Cymbopogon citratus) Essential Oil: Extraction, Composition, Bioactivity and Uses for Food Preservation – a Review |
| title_sort | lemongrass cymbopogon citratus essential oil extraction composition bioactivity and uses for food preservation a review |
| topic | lemongrass cymbopogon citratus essential oils citral antimicrobial activity food preservation |
| url | http://www.journalssystem.com/pjfns/Lemongrass-Cymbopogon-citratus-essential-oil-extraction-composition-bioactivity-and,113152,0,2.html |
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