Biotechnology reports (Amsterdam, Netherlands)Apr 6, 2018

Effects of Lippia alba essential oil and its main parts, citral and limonene, on rat airway muscle

Circadian Biology Weekly Brief ↗PubMed ↗DOI ↗

Updated Apr 2, 2026

Abstract

Essential oil from Lippia alba showed an EC50 of 148 ± 7 μg/mL in relaxing tracheal smooth muscle.

Citral and limonene also relaxed tracheal smooth muscle with EC50 values of 136 ± 7 μg/mL and 581 ± 7 μg/mL, respectively.
Both EOLa and citral exhibited an EC50 of 731 ± 5 μg/mL in muscle contractions induced by Acetylcholine.
In muscle preparations pre-incubated with 1000 μg/mL of EOLa and citral, both agents blocked calcium influx through voltage-operated calcium channels.

Simplified

The(Mill.) N.E. Brown (Verbenaceae) species, has effects sedative, analgesic and spasmolytic properties. This study had as its main objective to evaluate the essential oil of(EOLa) effect and that of its main constituents, citral and limonene, over tracheal smooth muscle from Wistar rats. EOLa, citral and limonene promoted relaxation of tracheal smooth muscle in contractions induced by potassium (60 mM K), presenting an ECof 148 ± 7 μg/mL for the EOLa, 136 ± 7 μg/mL for citral and 581 ± 7 μg/mL for limonene. In contractions induced by Acetylcholine (Ach; 10 μM) the ECfor the EOLa and citral were of 731 ± 5 μg/mL and 795 ± 9 μg/mL, respectively. In preparations pre-incubated with 1000 μg/mL of the EOLa and citral, both agents were found to block the influx of BaClby VOCCs. This study demonstrated that the EOLa and its main component citral present antispasmodic effect over tracheal smooth muscle of rats. Lippia alba L. alba + 50 50 2

Full Text

We can’t show the full text here under this license.

View Full Text ↗

Effects of Lippia alba essential oil and its main parts, citral and limonene, on rat airway muscle

Abstract

Full Text

You found one interesting study. We’ll send the next 7.

What Lands in Your Inbox Each Week:

Recent issues from the circadian biology brief

Abstract

Full Text

Related papers

You found one interesting study. We’ll send the next 7.

What Lands in Your Inbox Each Week:

Recent issues from the circadian biology brief