Neuropharmacological potential of the genus Citrus: A review

Abstract

The genus Citrus (family: Rutaceae), comprising of evergreen aromatic shrubs and small trees, is cultivated throughout the tropical and temperate regions of the world.Citrus fruits, flowers and leaves are store house of secondary metabolites like essential oils, flavonoids, limonoids, carotenoids, coumarins, glucarates, anthocyanins and phenolic acids. Citrus species have been attributed with a wide range of biological activities such as antioxidant, anticancer, anti-inflammatory, hypolipidemic, antihypertensive, antiatherosclerotic, antithrombotic, antiulcer, antiallergy and antimicrobial activities. Citrus species have been explored for their central nervous system related activities by different groups of researchers. The present review summarizes the ethno-medicinal uses of genus Citrus in relation to mental health disorders as reported in traditional medicinal systems and aromatherapy. The scientific literature, till the February 2018, has been searched thoroughly in order to examine available evidence on various neurobiological activities (like anxiolytic, sedative, antidepressant, anticonvulsant, memory enhancing and neuroprotective) of extracts/constituents of different Citrus species.