Therapeutic Effect and Adr Monitoring of Lemon Seed and Lemon Juice: A Narrative Review

Lemon (Citrus limon (L.) Burm. f.), a widely consumed fruit of the family Rutaceae, is valued for its nutritional and medicinal properties.[1,6] Lemon juice is rich in vitamin C, citric acid, flavonoids and phenolic compounds, while lemon seeds contain limonoids, fixed oils, fatty acids and other phytochemicals.[6,9–11] These constituents may contribute to antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antidiabetic, cardioprotective and neuroprotective activities, largely demonstrated in laboratory and animal studies.[3–5,8,23] Lemon juice may also reduce the risk of calcium stone formation by raising urinary citrate.[2,12,22] However, excessive consumption may cause dental enamel erosion, gastrointestinal discomfort and acid reflux, and contact with the skin followed by sunlight may cause phytophotodermatitis.[13–15, 24] The safety of concentrated lemon seed extracts is insufficiently investigated and long-term human effects are not established. Adverse drug reaction (ADR) monitoring is therefore important and should document the preparation, dose, frequency, duration, symptoms, comorbidities and concomitant medicines, with renal and hepatic parameters assessed where clinically indicated.[16–20] This review summarises the therapeutic potential, safety considerations and pharmacovigilance approach for lemon juice and lemon seed preparations, and highlights the need for toxicological and clinical studies to establish efficacy, dose and long-term safety.