Antimicrobial and Antioxidant Activities of Citrus limon Peel Essential Oils and their Application as a Natural Preservative in Fresh Cream: Effects on Oxidative and Sensory Properties

Abstract The aim of this study is to enhance the use of Citrus limon peel by utilizing its essential oil as a natural aroma and preservative in fresh cream. The essential oil was extracted through hydrodistillation and analyzed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of the essential oil were assessed at varying concentrations prior to its incorporation into fresh cream. Subsequently, the antioxidant and sensory stabilities of the fresh cream were evaluated. The essential oils were characterized by a dominance of monoterpenes with a high limonene content (61%), oxygenated monoterpenes, sesquiterpenes and oxygenated sesquiterpenes. The essential oils effectively reduced the DPPH° radical, which was confirmed by the β-carotene bleaching assay. Debaryomyces sp. and Rhodotorula sp. showed sensitivity to the essential oils and have MICs of 0.25% and 0.5% respectively. However, Zygosaccharomyces sp1 and Zygosaccharomyces sp2 were resistant. Their MICs were 1 and > 4%, respectively. The TBARS test showed that fresh creams with Citrus limon essential oils were resistant to forced oxidation. Incorporation into fresh cream at 0.125 and 0.25% did not alter the flavor of the product, which did not differ from the control. From all results; we can conclude that lemon essential oil can be used as an antioxidant and aromatic agent in fresh cream.