Investigation of Anti-inflammatory Activity of Bergamot Oil

Citrus aurantium subsp. bergamia is a member of the Rutaceae. In Turkish folk medicine, Citrus species have several uses such as for their appetizing, diaphoretic, antiseptic, analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects (1). The Bergamot oil (BO) is a roughly pear-shaped citrus fruit. The fruit is produced in Italy, East Africa, Ivory Coast, Argentina, Brazil, Turkey and some other Mediterranean countries. The fruit is sour, and its aromatic peel is used to produce an essential oil that is used in Earl Grey tea, in perfumery, in candy-making (2). It is known empirically that inhalation of essential oils causes physiological and psychological changes in humans (3). Graham et al reported that aromatherapy during radiotherapy with bergamot oil and some other kinds of plant oil was not beneficial (4). The BO oil has been linked to several negative side-effects such as photosensitivity (5-7). The essential oil of BO is extracted from the peel of the fruit by a cold-pressing procedure or steam distillation. It consists of a volatile fraction, whose main components are, in approximate percentages, limonene (40%), linalool (8%), linalyl acetate INVESTIGATION OF ANTI-INFLAMMATORY ACTIVITY OF BERGAMOT OIL