Antibacterial and antifungal efficacy of citrus peel essential oils from four Moroccan citrus varieties.

BACKGROUND

Infections brought on by bacteria and fungi pose a serious risk to public healthcare worldwide. The emergence of virulent and resistant microbes has weakened the effectiveness of several antimicrobial therapies. As a result, natural compounds are becoming more and more popular as substitute antibacterial agents. Citrus peels and other by-products are known to contain essential oils with potential biological benefits.

OBJECTIVE

The current study examines the antimicrobial characteristics of four Moroccan citrus peel essential oils in vitro.

MATERIAL AND

METHODS

Citrus peels were hydrodistilled to extract the essential oils. Antimicrobial properties were assessed by applying the agar disk-diffusion technique. Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal or fungicidal concentration (MBC/MFC) were ascertained by the broth microdilution method.

RESULTS

The extraction yield of citrus peels ranged from 0.4% to 1.0%. All essential oils have demonstrated antimicrobial activity. Citrus clementina was the most effective against Salmonella Typhimurium sp. (33.33 ± 2.08 mm), while the essential oil of Citrus sinensis demonstrated the strongest antibacterial activity against Bacillus sp. (24.50 ± 0.71 mm), Staphylococcus aureus (21.00 ± 2.65 mm), Enterococcus faecalis (19.00 ± 1.00 mm), and Pseudomonas fluorescens (26.00 ± 0.00 mm). For fungal strains, Citrus sinensis peel essential oil showed the strongest antifungal efficacy against Cryptococcus neoformans (34.33 ± 0.52 mm) and Candida albicans (39.67 ± 1.63 mm). Citrus sinensis and Citrus clementina peel essential oils exhibited mostly bactericidal and fungicidal effects against the majority of tested strains.

CONCLUSIONS

Moroccan citrus peel essential oils exhibited strong antimicrobial properties, highlighting their potential as natural substances and supporting their valorization in biomedicine and industrial applications.