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RESEARCH PAPER
Antibacterial and antifungal efficacy of citrus peel essential oils from four Moroccan citrus varieties
 
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1
Laboratory of Analysis, Modeling, Engineering, Natural Substances and Environment, Polydisciplinary Faculty of Taroudant, Ibn-Zohr University, Taroudant, Morocco
 
2
Laboratory of Helicobacter Pylori and Gastric Pathologies, Pasteur Institute of Morocco, Casablanca, Morocco
 
3
Laboratory of Plant Biotechnologies (BioTechV), Faculty of Sciences, Ibn Zohr University of Agadir, Morocco
 
 
Submission date: 2026-03-28
 
 
Final revision date: 2026-06-11
 
 
Acceptance date: 2026-06-16
 
 
Online publication date: 2026-06-25
 
 
Corresponding author
Loubna Ouahmane   

Laboratory of Analysis, Modeling, Engineering, Natural Substances and Environment, Polydisciplinary Faculty of Taroudant, Ibn-Zohr University, 83000 Taroudant, Morocco; email: loubna.ouahmane.62@edu.uiz.ac.ma
 
 
 
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ABSTRACT
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.
eISSN:2451-2311
ISSN:0035-7715
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