Seasonal variations of antimicrobial activity and chemical composition of Citrus limon L. Burm. spp. essential oils

Abstract

The interest towards the application of essential oils (EOs) is increasing due to the antimicrobial potential to be used as “natural” alternative to the chemical preservation of foods [1]. EOs are aromatic oily liquids produced as secondary metabolites in various plants exerting different biological properties, such as antibacterial, antiviral, antimycotic and insecticidal. EOs are complex mixtures of lipophilic substances and the chemical composition, thereby the biological activities, is influenced by the raw plant material (genotype, part of the plant, harvest time, geographical, ecological conditions and cultural techniques) and extraction method [2].