Physicochemical Indexes and Evaluation of Antioxidant, Antihemolytic and Antibacterial Activities of Citrus sinensis and Citrus limon Peel Essential Oils

In this study, the physicochemical indexes, phytochemical screening by thin layer chromatography of essential oils (EOs) obtained from C. limon L. and C. sinensis peels and their antioxidant, antihemolyticand antibacterial activities were investigated. The highest yield (0.71%), density (0.918 ±0.05), refractive index (1.974±0.02), saponification value (186.11±1.13 mg KOH/g) where obtained in C. limon, wherethe highest acid value ( 0.45±0.2mg KOH/g) was for C sinensis. Eight and six spots were identified in C. sisensis and C. limon respectively using thin-layer chromatography (TLC). IC50 for DPPH radical-scavenging activity were 7.04 ±1.03 and 8.39 ± 0.9 µg/mL for C. limon and C. sinensis essential oils, respectively. C. limon EO was also demonstrated better antihemolytic activity by peroxide scavenging, IC50 were 12.76± 0.6 for C. limon and 14.26 ±0.3 µg/mL for C. sinensis essential oils. The C. limon peel EOs showed, also, a higher antibacterial effect on S. aureus and E. coli with 20.5±0.2 and 11.5 ±0.01 mm, respectively. Our data showed that both C. limon and C. sinensis EO were inactive against P. aeruginosa.