Antibacterial potential of Citrus sinensis essential oil against foodborne pathogens: a systematic review

Bacteria are single-celled, prokaryotic organisms that can be present in contaminated food, causing various waterborne and foodborne diseases (WBD), which generate high morbidity rates and, in more severe cases, mortality in various regions of the world. The growing increase in bacterial resistance to antimicrobials used in the food industry and public health represents a serious health challenge, making the search for new microbial control strategies urgent. In this context, natural products, such as essential oils, have gained prominence for their bioactive compounds with significant antimicrobial potential, such as the terpenes found in Citrus sinensis (sweet orange) essential oil, which have been shown to be effective against various pathogenic bacteria involved in WFDIs. The objective of the study was to conduct a systematic review to evaluate the therapeutic potential of Citrus sinensis essential oil against foodborne pathogenic bacteria. The search covered documents in Portuguese and English published between 2019 and 2024. Data were collected through CAPES electronic journal platforms, using the Embase, PubMed, and Web of Science databases. The studies were organized and managed with the help of Mendeley software. Initially, 1,562 articles were found. After applying exclusion criteria and refining the search, 12 studies were selected for this review. It was observed that Citrus sinensis essential oil, both alone and in combination with other compounds, demonstrated significant antibacterial activity against gram-positive and gram-negative strains. Citrus sinensis essential oil appears to be a promising alternative in combating pathogenic bacteria, although further studies are needed to elucidate its mechanism of action and broaden its spectrum of application.