Composition and seasonal variation of Citrus mostruosa essential oil from Sardinia

Citrus mostruosa is a plant growing wild only on the island of Sardinia. We extracted essential oil from the peel of C. mostruosa fruits at different times of the year. Oil analysis showed unique high percentages of limonene, α-pinene, myrcene and cis-β-ocimene. Essential oil obtained from fruits harvested in February presented the highest concentrations of these bioactive substances. The peculiar composition of this oil might result in anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial activities.