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Volatile-Driven Antioxidant Activity of Pomelo Peel Essential Oil: Bridging Chemical Composition and Cellular Redox
1Animal Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory (ACoN) Unit, Burapha University, Chonburi, Thailand, buu.ac.th.
Biochemistry Research International
|July 19, 2026
Summary
Pomelo peel essential oil demonstrated antioxidant effects in cell models, protecting against oxidative stress. Chemical assays alone may not fully predict these cellular antioxidant benefits, especially for lipophilic compounds.
Area of Science:
- Natural Product Chemistry
- Cell Biology
- Oxidative Stress Research
Background:
- Pomelo (Citrus maxima) peel essential oil contains volatile terpenoids with potential antioxidant properties.
- The relationship between the oil's chemical profile, antioxidant capacity, and cellular effects under oxidative stress is not well-defined.
- Conventional antioxidant assays may not fully represent the biological activity of lipophilic extracts like essential oils.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the chemical composition of pomelo peel essential oil.
- To evaluate its antioxidant capacity using chemical assays.
- To assess its cytoprotective effects in a cellular oxidative stress model.
Main Methods:
- Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) for chemical profiling.
- DPPH radical-scavenging and ferric-reducing assays for antioxidant capacity.
- SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells exposed to hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)-induced oxidative stress.
Main Results:
- Limonene was the primary identified compound by GC-MS.
- Pomelo peel essential oil exhibited moderate DPPH radical-scavenging and ferric-reducing activities.
- The oil attenuated reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation and lipid peroxidation, improving cell viability in a dose-dependent manner (50 and 100 μg/mL).
- Pretreatment with the essential oil offered stronger cytoprotective effects than cotreatment.
Conclusions:
- Pomelo peel essential oil possesses cytoprotective activity against oxidative stress in SH-SY5Y cells.
- Chemical antioxidant assays may not adequately predict the cellular antioxidant-associated effects of lipophilic essential oils.
- Further research is needed to identify specific contributing constituents and elucidate the molecular mechanisms of action.
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