A Compositional Perspective of Sour Orange (Citrus aurantium L.) Flowers Essential Oil under Different Storage Conditions

Abstract

Sour orange (Citrus aurantium L.) is a tree with medicinal properties. This study assessed the impact of various storage conditions and times on the Essential Oil (EO) content of sour orange blossoms. The changes in the EO composition were recorded at the beginning of extraction and during three, six, and nine months of storage at the temperature of 4 °C (refrigerator), -20 °C (freezer), and 25 °C (room temperature) under conditions of light and darkness. According to the Gas Chromatography (GC, FID detector) and Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS, FID detector) results, 35 compounds were identified. Linalool acetate (14.56-31.4%), linalool (18.9-23.1%), limonene (7.51-15.3%), farnesol (2.1-9%), nerolidol (6.1-8.9%), β-pinene (5.7-8.7%), trans-β-ocimene (0-7.9%), and geranyl acetate (4.2-5.7%) constituted the major EO components in different storage treatments. After nine months, linalool acetate climbed by more than twice as much. Overall, the principal EO compositions are significantly impacted by the storage circumstances. Such knowledge is essential for the food and pharmaceutical industries to use EO effectively in their intended products.