Chemical composition and anti-inflammatory activity of the essential oil from the leaves of Limnocitrus littoralis (Miq.) Swingle from Vietnam

Abstract

The oil from the leaves of Limnocitrus littoralis (Miq.) Swingle was obtained by hydrodistillation and investigated by gas chromatography combined with mass spectrometry (GC/MS), the anti-inflammatory effect of the oil was examined on a LPS-induced RAW264.7 cells. An aggregate of forty components were identified, representing 93.0% of the oil. This oil was subjugated by monoterpene hydrocarbons (27.7%), sesquiterpene hydrocarbons (32.3%) and oxygenated sesquiterpenes (4.6%). The significant constituents of L. littoralis essential oil were determined as follows; myrcene (24.9%), γ–muurolene (11.0%), and oleic acid (10.3%). The essential oil of L. littoralis showed activity against the nitric oxide (NO) generation with the IC₅₀ value to 12.50 ± 1.19 µg/L. The anti-inflammatory effect of essential oil from the leaves of L. littoralis is reported for the first time.

Graphical Abstract

Keywords:

• Limnocitrus littoralis (Miq.) Swingle
• essential oil
• anti-inflammatory activity

Acknowledgments

We are grateful to Professor Piero Cappuccinelli (Department of Biomedical Science, University of Sassari, Sassari, Italy) for supporting and mastering the research team, Mr. Hieu Trong Nguyen (Drugs, Cosmetics and Food Quality Control of Thua Thien Hue Province) for recording spectra, and Mrs. Thao Thi Do (Institute of Biotechnology, VAST, Ha Noi, Vietnam) for evaluating the anti-inflammatory activity.

Disclosure statement

The authors do not have conflict of interest.

Additional information

Funding

We are grateful to Hue University for the financial support of this study (ID No: DHH2019-04-90).