Chemical characterization and biological potentials of the essential oil from the peel of the fruit of Citrus x sp

Considering the importance of essential oils, the study aimed to chemically characterize the peel essential oil of Citrus x sp, determine the phenolic compounds, verify the toxicity against Artemia salina, and test the anti-inflammatory, larvicides, and activities with molluscicides. The peel essential oil of Citrus x sp was extracted by the hydrodistillation technique. GC/MS shows that the major component of the essential oil is limonene (70.25%), observing similarity between the peel essential oil of the same species and between species of the same genus. The total phenolic was 19,25 EAT g-1. The essential oil showed anti-inflammatory, larvicide, and molluscicide potential, with EC50 = 400.05 mg L-1, LC50 = 20.26 μg mL-1 and LC90 = 87,50 μg mL-1, respectively. It did not show toxicity against Artemia salina. The results indicate that the chemical compounds of the peel essential oil of Citrus x sp, which are mostly monoterpenes, prove their wide biological activity, and their use is encouraged.