An Overview onCitrus aurantiumL.: Its Functions as Food Ingredient and Therapeutic Agent

Abstract

Citrus aurantiumL. (Rutaceae), commonly known as bitter orange, possesses multiple therapeutic potentials. These biological credentials include anticancer, antianxiety, antiobesity, antibacterial, antioxidant, pesticidal, and antidiabetic activities. The essential oil ofC. aurantiumwas reported to display marked pharmacological effects and great variation in chemical composition depending on growing locations but mostly contained limonene, linalool, andβ-myrcene. Phytochemically,C. aurantiumis rich inp-synephrine, an alkaloid, and many health-giving secondary metabolites such as flavonoids. Animal studies have demonstrated a low affinity ofp-synephrine for adrenergic receptors and an even lower affinity in human models. The present review focuses on the different biological activities of theC. aurantiumin animal and human models in the form of extract and its pure secondary metabolites. Finally, it is concluded that both the extract and isolated compounds have no unwanted effects in human at therapeutic doses and, therefore, can confidently be used in various dietary formulations.