Essential Nose Grapefruit
Grapefruit essential oil (Citrus paradisi) is cold-pressed from the peel and is composed predominantly of d-limonene (>90%), with lesser quantities of myrcene, alpha-pinene, and the characteristic bitter sesquiterpene nootkatone. Limonene has well-documented antioxidant and chemopreventive properties.[1] The furanocoumarins present in grapefruit peel oil (bergapten, isopimpinellin) are significant inhibitors of CYP3A4 and require consideration in phototoxicity and drug interaction contexts.[2]
Pink Grapefruit
Citrus paradisi
- Also Known As
- Ruby Red Grapefruit, Pink Pomelo
- Family
- Citrus
- Perfumery Note
- Top
- Intensity
- Medium
- Extraction
- Cold Pressed
- Plant Parts
- Fruit peel
- Origins
- USA, Israel, Argentina
- Effect
- Uplifting & Energizing, Focus & Clarity
- Aroma
- Citrus, Sweet, Fruity, Fresh
- Applications
- Aromatherapy, Perfumery, Skincare, Bath & Body, Cleaning
- Price
- $$$$Cold-pressed from pink grapefruit peel as a byproduct of the juice industry; enormous global production volumes make it one of the most affordable citrus oils
Pink (redblush) grapefruit essential oil (Citrus paradisi Macfad.) is cold-pressed from the flavedo of pink- and red-fleshed cultivars and is composed predominantly of d-limonene (>90%), with β-myrcene, a-pinene, and the sesquiterpene ketone nootkatone as characteristic minor constituents.[3] Nootkatone, though present at low concentrations, is the principal odour-impact compound and is responsible for the variety's distinctive bitter-citrus character.[3] Among grapefruit cultivars, rose/pink-type oils have been reported to exhibit the highest anti-inflammatory potential in cyclooxygenase inhibition assays.[4]
White Grapefruit
Citrus paradisi
- Also Known As
- Marsh Grapefruit, Common Grapefruit
- Family
- Citrus
- Perfumery Note
- Top
- Intensity
- Medium
- Extraction
- Cold Pressed
- Plant Parts
- Fruit peel
- Origins
- USA, South Africa
- Effect
- Uplifting & Energizing, Focus & Clarity
- Aroma
- Citrus, Fresh, Tart, Clean
- Applications
- Aromatherapy, Perfumery, Skincare, Bath & Body, Cleaning
- Price
- $$$$White grapefruit is less widely cultivated than pink varieties; smaller juice industry volumes mean less peel available for cold-pressing and a modest price premium over pink grapefruit oil
White (yellow) grapefruit essential oil (Citrus paradisi) is cold-pressed from the peel of non-pigmented cultivars and shares the same dominant monoterpene skeleton as other grapefruit varieties, with d-limonene constituting >97% of the terpene fraction, followed by β-myrcene and y-terpinene.[5] GC-MS analysis confirms that 24 volatile components account for 99.7% of the oil, with the oxygenated fraction—including nootkatone, octanal, and decanal—comprising the characteristic odour-active minority.[5] The oil exhibits antimicrobial activity against Bacillus subtilis, Escherichia coli, and Staphylococcus aureus, and demonstrates antiproliferative effects against human cancer cell lines in vitro.[5]
References
- [1]D-limonene: safety and clinical applications — Sun J. Alternative Medicine Review, 2007
- [2]Furanocoumarins in grapefruit and drug interactions — Egashira K et al. Drug Metabolism and Pharmacokinetics, 2004
- [3]Volatile Constituents of Redblush Grapefruit (Citrus paradisi) and Pummelo (Citrus grandis) Peel Essential Oils from Kenya — Njoroge SM et al. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 2005
- [4]Chemical Profiling, Toxicity and Anti-Inflammatory Activities of Essential Oils from Three Grapefruit Cultivars from KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa — Miya G et al. Molecules, 2021
- [5]Chemical Composition, Antimicrobial, Antioxidant, and Antiproliferative Properties of Grapefruit Essential Oil Prepared by Molecular Distillation — Deng W et al. Molecules, 2020