Insights into chemistry, extraction and industrial application of lemon grass essential oil -A review of recent advances

Lemongrass essential oil (LEO), extracted from high-oil lemongrass, gains prominence as a versatile natural product due to growing demand for safe health solutions. LEO comprises beneficial compounds like citral, isoneral, geraniol, and citronellal, offering diverse pharmacological benefits such as antioxidant, antifungal, antibacterial, antiviral, and anticancer effects. LEO finds applications in food preservation, cosmetics, and pharmaceuticals, enhancing profitability across these sectors. The review focuses on the extraction of LEO, emphasizing the need for cost-effective methods. Ultrasound and supercritical fluid extraction are effective in reducing extraction time, increasing yields, and enhancing oil quality. LEO shows promise as a valuable natural resource across industries, with applications in packaging, coating, and film development. LEO's ability to extend the shelf life of food items and impart natural flavors positions it as a valuable asset. Overall, the review emphasizes LEO's therapeutic, antimicrobial, and antioxidant properties, strengthening its potential in the food, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic sectors.

Exploring the Clinical Applications of Lemongrass Essential Oil: A Scoping Review

Lemongrass is a medicinal plant that produces essential oil with a variety of therapeutic properties. Although lemongrass essential oil (LGEO) is promising in clinical applications, the existing knowledge on the efficacy and safety of LGEO remains limited. This scoping review aimed to identify, summarize, and synthesize existing literature related to the clinical applications of LGEO to provide an overview of its potential therapeutic benefits for patients. Three databases (PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus) were used following the PRISMA-ScR guidelines to find articles published between 1 January 2013, and 1 November 2022. A total of 671 records were identified and 8 articles were included in this scoping review. The majority of patients received oromucosal and topical treatment. The results of the studies suggest that LGEO might be a useful tool in the treatment of periodontitis, gingivitis and oral malodour, with similar efficacy to chlorhexidine (anti-gingivitis effect) and doxycycline (periodontitis). Additionally, LGEO has the potential for treating pityriasis versicolor and preventing skin aging and may have anti-dandruff effects. These findings not only underscore the diverse clinical potential of LGEO but also emphasize its comparable efficacy to established treatments. Further research is imperative to comprehensively evaluate LGEO's effectiveness, safety, mechanisms of action, potential interactions with other medications, and its long-term tolerability across diverse populations.

Assessing the Use of Aloe vera Gel Alone and in Combination with Lemongrass Essential Oil as a Coating Material for Strawberry Fruits: HPLC and EDX Analyses

Strawberry is a non-climacteric fruit but exhibits a limited postharvest life due to rapid softening and decay. A strawberry coating that is natural and safe for human consumption can be used to improve the appearance and safeguard the fruits. In this study, 20% and 40% Aloe vera gel alone or in combination with 1% lemongrass essential oil (EO) was used as an edible coating for strawberries. After application of all the treatments, the strawberry fruits were stored at a temperature of 5 ± 1 °C at a relative humidity (RH) of 90%–95% for up to 16 days and all the parameters were analyzed and compared to control (uncoated fruits). The results show that A. vera gel alone or with lemongrass EO reduced the deterioration and increased the shelf life of the fruit. Treatment with A. vera gel and lemongrass EO decreased acidity and total anthocyanins and maintained fruit firmness. Treatment with A. vera gel 40% + lemongrass EO 1% led to the lowest weight loss, retained firmness and acidity, but increased the total soluble solids and total anthocyanins compared to uncoated fruits during storage of up to 16 days. The phenolic compounds of A. vera gel were analyzed by HPLC, and the most abundant compounds were found to be caffeic (30.77 mg/mL), coumaric (22.4 mg/mL), syringic (15.12 mg/mL), sinapic (14.05 mg/mL), ferulic (8.22 mg/mL), and cinnamic acids (7.14 mg/mL). Lemongrass EO was analyzed by GC–MS, and the most abundant compounds were identified as α-citral (neral) (40.10%) ꞵ-citral (geranial) (30.71%), γ-dodecalactone (10.24%), isoneral (6.67%), neryl acetal (5.64%), and linalool (1.77%). When the fruits were treated with 20% or 40% A. vera gel along with 1% lemongrass, their total phenolic content was maintained during the storage period (from 4 to 8 days). The antioxidant activity was relatively stable during the 8 days of cold storage of the fruits coated with A. vera gel combined with lemongrass EO because the activity of both 20% and 40% gel was greater than that for the other treatments after 12 days of storage in both experiments. Moreover, all the treatments resulted in lower numbers of total microbes at the end of the storage period compared with the control treatment. This study indicates that the use of Aloe vera gel with lemongrass EO as an edible coating considerably enhances the productivity of strawberry fruits and the treatment could be used on a commercial scale.