Volatile Compounds in Essential Oils: A Comprehensive Review

Overview

Journal Front Plant Sci

Date 2019 Feb 27

PMID 30804951

Citations 83

Authors

M Carmen Gonzalez-Mas

Jose L Rambla

M Pilar Lopez-Gresa

M Amparo Blazquez

Antonio Granell

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

The essential oil fraction obtained from the rind of spp. is rich in chemical compounds of interest for the food and perfume industries, and therefore has been extensively studied during the last decades. In this manuscript, we provide a comprehensive review of the volatile composition of this oil fraction and rind extracts for the 10 most studied species: (sweet orange), (mandarin), (grapefruit), (pummelo), (lemon), (citron), (lime), (bitter orange), (bergamot orange), and (yuzu). Forty-nine volatile organic compounds have been reported in all 10 species, most of them terpenoid (90%), although about half of the volatile compounds identified in peel are non-terpenoid. Over 400 volatiles of different chemical nature have been exclusively described in only one of these species and some of them could be useful as species biomarkers. A hierarchical cluster analysis based on volatile composition arranges these species in three clusters which essentially mirrors those obtained with genetic information. The first cluster is comprised by and , and is mainly characterized by the presence of a larger abundance of non-terpenoid ester and aldehyde compounds than in the other species reviewed. The second cluster is comprised by , , , and , and is characterized by the prevalence of mono- and sesquiterpene hydrocarbons. Finally, shows a particular volatile profile with some sulfur monoterpenoids and non-terpenoid esters and aldehydes as part of its main differential peculiarities. A systematic description of the rind volatile composition in each of the species is provided together with a general comparison with those in leaves and blossoms. Additionally, the most widely used techniques for the extraction and analysis of volatile compounds are also described.

Citing Articles

Chemical Composition, Enantiomeric Distribution and Antimicrobial, Antioxidant and Antienzymatic Activities of Essential Oil from Leaves of x .

Valarezo E, Toledo-Ruiz L, Coque-Saetama W, Caraguay-Martinez A, Jaramillo-Fierro X, Cumbicus N Molecules. 2025; 30(4).

PMID: 40005246 PMC: 11858775. DOI: 10.3390/molecules30040937.

Characterization of New Flavored Oils Obtained Through the Co-Milling of Olives and Vegetable Food Products.

Lazzarini C, Tura M, Mandrioli M, Setti M, Mokhtari N, Ait Elkassia A Foods. 2025; 14(4).

PMID: 40002129 PMC: 11853759. DOI: 10.3390/foods14040687.

Analysis of Volatile Compounds in from Different Regions in South China and the Response of Volatile Compounds to Ecological Factors.

Hu S, Zhang A, Wu H, Peng W, Li P, Su W Molecules. 2025; 30(3).

PMID: 39942726 PMC: 11821023. DOI: 10.3390/molecules30030622.

Physicochemical Properties of Nanoencapsulated Essential Oils: Optimizing D-Limonene Preservation.

Mori-Mestanza D, Valqui-Rojas I, Caetano A, Culqui-Arce C, Cruz-Lacerna R, Cayo-Colca I Polymers (Basel). 2025; 17(3).

PMID: 39940550 PMC: 11820669. DOI: 10.3390/polym17030348.

Heterotropic Activation of Cytochrome P450 3A4 by Perillyl Alcohol.

Ryu J, Yu J, Jeon J, Jo S, Lee S, Kim H Pharmaceutics. 2025; 16(12.

PMID: 39771560 PMC: 11676982. DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics16121581.

References

Choi H . Character impact odorants of Citrus Hallabong [(C. unshiu Marcov x C. sinensis Osbeck) x C. reticulata Blanco] cold-pressed peel oil. J Agric Food Chem. 2003; 51(9):2687-92. DOI: 10.1021/jf021069o. View

Frizzo C, Lorenzo D, Dellacassa E . Composition and seasonal variation of the essential oils from two mandarin cultivars of southern Brazil. J Agric Food Chem. 2004; 52(10):3036-41. DOI: 10.1021/jf030685x. View

Zhang H, Xie Y, Liu C, Chen S, Hu S, Xie Z . Comprehensive comparative analysis of volatile compounds in citrus fruits of different species. Food Chem. 2017; 230:316-326. DOI: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2017.03.040. View

Lota , de Rocca Serra D , Tomi , CASANOVA . Chemical variability of peel and leaf essential oils of 15 species of mandarins. Biochem Syst Ecol. 2000; 29(1):77-104. DOI: 10.1016/s0305-1978(00)00029-6. View

Yu L, Li X, Liu S, Xu G, Liang Y . Comparative analysis of volatile constituents in Citrus reticulata Blanco using GC-MS and alternative moving window factor analysis. J Sep Sci. 2009; 32(20):3457-65. DOI: 10.1002/jssc.200900267. View

Miyazawa N, Fujita A, Kubota K . Aroma character impact compounds in Kinokuni mandarin orange (Citrus kinokuni) compared with Satsuma mandarin orange (Citrus unshiu). Biosci Biotechnol Biochem. 2010; 74(4):835-42. DOI: 10.1271/bbb.90937. View

Asikin Y, Taira I, Inafuku-Teramoto S, Sumi H, Ohta H, Takara K . The composition of volatile aroma components, flavanones, and polymethoxylated flavones in Shiikuwasha (Citrus depressa Hayata) peels of different cultivation lines. J Agric Food Chem. 2012; 60(32):7973-80. DOI: 10.1021/jf301848s. View

Hognadottir A, Rouseff R . Identification of aroma active compounds in orange essence oil using gas chromatography-olfactometry and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. J Chromatogr A. 2003; 998(1-2):201-11. DOI: 10.1016/s0021-9673(03)00524-7. View

Dharmawan J, Kasapis S, Sriramula P, Lear M, Curran P . Evaluation of aroma-active compounds in Pontianak orange peel oil ( Citrus nobilis Lour. Var. microcarpa Hassk.) by gas chromatography-olfactometry, aroma reconstitution, and omission test. J Agric Food Chem. 2008; 57(1):239-44. DOI: 10.1021/jf801070r. View

10.

Verzera A, Trozzi A, Gazea F, Cicciarello G, Cotroneo A . Effects of rootstock on the composition of bergamot (Citrus bergamia Risso et Poiteau) essential oil. J Agric Food Chem. 2002; 51(1):206-10. DOI: 10.1021/jf0206872. View

11.

Cheong M, Chong Z, Liu S, Zhou W, Curran P, Yu B . Characterisation of calamansi (Citrus microcarpa). Part I: volatiles, aromatic profiles and phenolic acids in the peel. Food Chem. 2012; 134(2):686-95. DOI: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2012.02.162. View

12.

Gonzalez-Mas M, Rambla J, Alamar M, Gutierrez A, Granell A . Comparative analysis of the volatile fraction of fruit juice from different Citrus species. PLoS One. 2011; 6(7):e22016. PMC: 3139606. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0022016. View

13.

Luciardi M, Blazquez M, Alberto M, Cartagena E, Arena M . Grapefruit essential oils inhibit quorum sensing of Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Food Sci Technol Int. 2019; 26(3):231-241. DOI: 10.1177/1082013219883465. View

14.

Choi H . Lipolytic effects of citrus peel oils and their components. J Agric Food Chem. 2006; 54(9):3254-8. DOI: 10.1021/jf052409j. View

15.

Choi H . Characteristic odor components of kumquat (Fortunella japonica Swingle) peel oil. J Agric Food Chem. 2005; 53(5):1642-7. DOI: 10.1021/jf040324x. View

16.

Singh P, Shukla R, Prakash B, Kumar A, Singh S, Mishra P . Chemical profile, antifungal, antiaflatoxigenic and antioxidant activity of Citrus maxima Burm. and Citrus sinensis (L.) Osbeck essential oils and their cyclic monoterpene, DL-limonene. Food Chem Toxicol. 2010; 48(6):1734-40. DOI: 10.1016/j.fct.2010.04.001. View

17.

Venturini N, Barboni T, Curk F, Costa J, Paolini J . Volatile and Flavonoid Composition of the Peel of L. var. Fruit for Quality Assessment of Its Liqueur. Food Technol Biotechnol. 2016; 52(4):403-410. PMC: 5079152. DOI: 10.17113/ftb.52.04.14.3717. View

18.

Belsito E, Carbone C, Di Gioia M, Leggio A, Liguori A, Perri F . Comparison of the volatile constituents in cold-pressed bergamot oil and a volatile oil isolated by vacuum distillation. J Agric Food Chem. 2007; 55(19):7847-51. DOI: 10.1021/jf070997q. View

19.

Jabalpurwala F, Smoot J, Rouseff R . A comparison of citrus blossom volatiles. Phytochemistry. 2009; 70(11-12):1428-34. DOI: 10.1016/j.phytochem.2009.07.031. View

20.

Jing L, Lei Z, Li L, Xie R, Xi W, Guan Y . Antifungal Activity of Citrus Essential Oils. J Agric Food Chem. 2014; 62(14):3011-3033. DOI: 10.1021/jf5006148. View