Anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities of Citrus aurantifolia (Christm.) Swingle essential oil in dystrophic muscle cells: implication of the PGC-1α pathway

The commercial essential oil obtained from the steam distillation of cold-pressed oil from Citrus aurantifolia (Christm.) Swingle fruits (OCA), after chemical characterization by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), was investigated for antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities and related signaling pathways in dystrophic muscle cells. The chemical composition of OCA showed 24 compounds with a predominance of monoterpenes, such as limonene (42.6%), cymene (11.8%), α-terpineol (11.8%), terpinolene (5.3%) and γ-terpinene (4.6%). DPHH and ORAC assays showed a significant antioxidant activity of OCA. Because the OCA is rich in limonene, it exhibited marked anti-inflammatory (as indicated by the reduction of TNF- α and NF-κB levels) and antioxidant effects (as indicated by the reduction of 4-HNE-protein adducts, SOD-2, GSR and H 2 O 2 levels) on dystrophic muscle cells. These effects appear to be mediated through the activation of PGC-1α pathway. Therefore, OCA can be considered a promising bioactive for therapeutic applications in dystrophinopathies.