citral

Citral is an acyclic monoterpene aldehyde composed of two geometric isomers: geranial (citral A, trans-citral) and neral (citral B, cis-citral)[9][1][3]. Naturally present in the essential oils of various plants (notably lemongrass, lemon myrtle, Litsea cubeba, and others), citral is a pale yellow liquid recognized for its strong lemon-like aroma[1][9][6]. It is widely used as a flavoring and fragrance agent in foods, beverages, cosmetics, perfumes, and cleaning products[2][3][5][4]. In the pharmaceutical and food industries, citral serves as a precursor for vitamins A and E synthesis[3][6][4]. Citral exhibits various biological properties, including antimicrobial, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anticancer, anti-diabetic, and antiparasitic activities, among others[2][8][7]. It is generally regarded as safe (GRAS) by food regulatory authorities and is used as a food additive to extend shelf life by reducing microbial contamination[2]. Citral’s mechanism of action involves multiple biochemical targets consistent with its broad bioactivity profile (see mechanisms).

Other names

geranialneraltrans-citralcis-citral3,7-dimethyl-2,6-octadienal2,6-octadienal, 3,7-dimethyl-natural citralcitrathalgeranialdehydecitral natural(2E)-3,7-dimethyl-2,6-octadienal