Limonene concentration in lemon (Citrus volkameriana) peel oil as a function of ripeness

Abstract

AbstractThe dependence of the limonene content of lemon (Citrus volkameriana) peel oil on the degree of ripeness of the fruit has been studied by using steam distillation and cold pressing to extract the oils from lemon fruit peel at different stages of maturation (green, greenish‐yellow, and yellow‐orange peel coloration). Samples of essential oils were analyzed by high resolution GC and GC‐MS, using tetradecane as internal standard for quantitation. Forty components were detected; thirty eight were positively identified by comparison of their mass spectra (El, 70 eV) and Kováts retention indexes (determined using a non‐logarithmic scale on capillary columns coated with both polar (DB‐Wax) and non‐polar (DB‐1) stationary phases) with those of standards and with data reported in the literature. The limonene concentration reached a maximum level of 79.4% when the fruit was in the intermediate maturation stage characterized by greenish‐yellow coloration.