Lemongrass Essential Oil Components with Antimicrobial and Anticancer Activities

Abstract

The prominent cultivation of lemongrass (Cymbopogon spp.) relies on the pharmacological incentives of its essential oil. Lemongrass essential oil (LEO) carries a significant amount of numerous bioactive compounds, such as citral (mixture of geranial and neral), isoneral, isogeranial, geraniol, geranyl acetate, citronellal, citronellol, germacrene-D, and elemol, in addition to other bioactive compounds. These components confer various pharmacological actions to LEO, including antifungal, antibacterial, antiviral, anticancer, and antioxidant properties. These LEO attributes are commercially exploited in the pharmaceutical, cosmetics, and food preservations industries. Furthermore, the application of LEO in the treatment of cancer opens a new vista in the field of therapeutics. Although different LEO components have shown promising anticancer activities in vitro, their effects have not yet been assessed in the human system. Hence, further studies on the anticancer mechanisms conferred by LEO components are required. The present review intends to provide a timely discussion on the relevance of LEO in combating cancer and sustaining human healthcare, as well as in food industry applications.

Suffer or Survive: Decoding Salt-Sensitivity of Lemongrass and Its Implication on Essential Oil Productivity

“…Nevertheless, the damaging effects of salinity can vary depending on its concentration and plant adaptability ( Munns and Tester, 2008 ). Considering a growing market for lemongrass and its essential oil ( Haque et al, 2018 ; Mukarram et al, 2021a , b ), the present experiment traces the salt-sensitivity of lemongrass and the efficacy of its defence system against salinity.…”

“…The lemongrass essential oil (LEO) has enormous medicinal and commercial potential. The pharmacological benefits of LEO are derived from its antimicrobial, anticancer, insect-repellent, and antioxidant properties ( Mukarram et al, 2021a , b ). These bioactivities are further exploited in cosmetics and food packaging and safety.…”

“…On a global scale, the lemongrass is harvested over 16,000 ha of land which corresponds to an annual production of 1000 t of LEO ( Haque et al, 2018 ). Mukarram et al (2021b) reviewed the lemongrass economics and suggested a rapid growing pattern in India and globally as well. It was suggested that the estimated LEO market in 2019 was 247 million US$ which will be approximately doubled by 2027.…”

Antimicrobial Properties of Distichochlamys citrea M.F. Newman Rhizome n‐Hexane Extract against Streptococcus pyogenes: Experimental Evidences and Computational Screening

“…The pharmacological effects of geraniol suggest that it could be a viable medication candidate for treating a variety of diseases thanks to its anti‐cancer, anti‐inflammatory, antioxidative, antibacterial, hepatoprotective, cardioprotective, and neuroprotective properties [17–19] . Especially, the monoterpenes geraniol and geranyl acetate, volatile bioactive compounds, present in the Distichochlamys citrea and several other plants were proved to exhibit significant anticancer activities against colon cancer cells [20] . In these reports, evidences indicated that they are promising for the development of new cancer therapies, thus deserving further investigations.…”

“…[17][18][19] Especially, the monoterpenes geraniol and geranyl acetate, volatile bioactive compounds, present in the Distichochlamys citrea and several other plants were proved to exhibit significant anticancer activities against colon cancer cells. [20] In these reports, evidences indicated that they are promising for the development of new cancer therapies, thus deserving further investigations. In many preceding studies, ethyl linoleate, a naturally occurring fatty acid ester, was consistently reported with wide bioactive potential, e. g. anti-inflammatory, [21,22] antibacterial, [23] antiacne, [24] and melanogenesis-inhibitory properties.…”