• Bergamot
  • Bergamot

Bergamot

  • Scientific Name
    Citrus bergamia
  • Family
    Rutaceae
  • Origin
    Brazil, Cote d'Ivoire, Morocco, Portugal, Guinea, Italyetc.

CONTENTS

Plant description

Bergamot belongs to the Rutaceae family and their trees grow up to around 4 meters tall. Alongside its distinctive yellow-green fruit, it has green leaves with small white flowers. The fruit is renowned for its extreme sourness, rendering it inedible in its natural state. Due to its delicate and challenging cultivation, Bergamot is often primarily used for fragrances. The origin of the name “Bergamot” can be traced back to Bergamo, Italy, where the tree was first cultivated. It is predominantly grown in Calabria, Italy, along the coasts of the Ionian Sea and the Thionian Sea. Other regions include Brazil, Cote d’Ivoire, Morocco, Portugal, and Guinea.

Essential oil composition

Bergamot (cold-pressed / furocoumarin-free)

  • Bergamot (cold-pressed / furocoumarin-free)

  • INCI
    CITRUS AURANTIUM BERGAMIA (BERGAMOT) FRUIT OIL、CITRUS AURANTIUM BERGAMIA (BERGAMOT) PEEL OIL
  • Parts of Plant Used
    Fruit / Peel
  • Extraction Method
    Cold Press
  • Extraction Rate
    0.5％
  • Notes
    Top
  • Aroma Family
    Citrus

Bergamot (cold-pressed / furocoumarin-free) Essential Oil Properties & Uses

Bergamot essential oil is obtained by cold press at around 0.5% efficiency and is colorless to slightly greenish in color. It has an exceptionally refined fragrance among citrus essential oils, characterized by the fresh, citrusy essence coming from its chief constituent limonene, while also featuring a subtle floral quality due to linalool and linalyl acetate—components shared with Lavender and Neroli. This essential oil is a quintessential top note in classic eau de cologne compositions, yet it also harmonizes seamlessly with a broad spectrum of other fragrances, offering a diverse range of aromatic possibilities. Bergamot's familiar and delightful aroma is reminiscent of the famous "Earl Grey" black tea, making it compatiable for various essential oils. When blended with less favorable aromas or in situations where a blend doesn't harmonize well, Bergamot can contribute to creating a well-balanced aroma. The fragrance strength is relatively weak, allowing for easy balancing by adding a little more to achieve the desired blend.

Essential oil composition

Essential oil composition

※An example of one batch production is shown here.

  • Limonene　40.0%
  • Linalyl acetate　28.5%
  • Linalool　11.7%
  • β-Pinene　7.2%
  • γ-Terpinene　6.3%
  • α-Pinene　1.3%
  • Sabinene　1.2%
  • myrcene　1.2%
  • Other components　2.7%

Functions and Efficacies

α-Pinene

α-Pinene
  • IUPAC Name
    (+)-α-Pinene: (1R,5R)-2,6,6-trimethylbicyclo[3.1.1]hept-2-ene
    (-)-α-Pinene: (1S,5S)-2,6,6-trimethylbicyclo[3.1.1]hept-2-ene
  • Molecular Formula
    C10H16
  • Molecular Weight
    136.23 g/mol
  • CAS No.
    (+)-α-Pinene: 7785-70-8
    (-)-α-Pinene: 7785-26-4
  • Structure
    Bicyclic monoterpene

Functions and Efficacies of α-Pinene

in slico in vitro ex vivo in vivo
Non-clinical Clinical
Mice Rats Guinea Pigs Insects Rabbits Human
Stress Reduction ○
Anti-bacterial Effects ○
Anti-inflammatory Effects ○

Stress Reduction

A study reported that brain tumors in mice that inhaled the fragrance of α-pinene became smaller. However, no melanoma cell growth was observed with the addition of α-pinene, indicating a potential psychological effect .1)

Anti-bacterial Effects

A study reported that α-pinene had an inhibitory effect on the growth of blue staining fungi, both when exposed to gas and when added to the culture medium2)

Anti-inflammatory Effects

It is known that the addition of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in RAW264.7 cells induces the production of nitric oxide (NO), a substance that causes inflammation. A study reported that the production of NO was suppressed by the addition of α-pinene.3)

  • 1)Kusuhara et al., Biomedical Research, 2012
  • 2)岡村、木材保存、
  • 3)Kwak et al., Journal of Exercise Rehabilitation, 2019

Limonene

Limonene
  • IUPAC Name
    1-methyl-4-prop-1-en-2-ylcyclohexene
  • Molecular Formula
    C10H16
  • Molecular Weight
    136.23 g/mol
  • CAS No.
    138-86-3
  • Structure
    Monocyclic monoterpene

Functions and Efficacies of Limonene

in slico in vitro ex vivo in vivo
Non-clinical Clinical
Mice Rats Guinea Pigs Insects Rabbits Human
Stress Reduction ○
Memory Improvement ○ ○
Anti-cancer Effects ○ ○ ○

Stress Reduction

A study reported that mice subjected to cold stress at 4°C (41°F) exhibited reduced elevations in blood corticosterone levels when treated with limonene. Furthermore, the same report demonstrated that limonene effectively lowered corticosterone levels in the blood of mice exposed to both physical and mental stress.1)

Memory Improvement

A study reported that when acetylcholinesterase reacts with acetylthiocholine in phosphate-buffered saline, the introduction of limonene inhibits the degradation by acetylcholinesterase. Acetylcholinesterase plays a role in the breakdown of acetylcholine, a hormone associated with memory and learning. In the same report, it was also noted that limonene suppressed memory impairment induced by scopolamine administration in rats.2)

Anti-cancer Effects

A report indicated that the consumption of limonene by breast cancer patients resulted in reduced expression of Cyclin D1, a protein crucial for cell division, within tumors.3)Furthermore, numerous other studies have also documented the anticancer properties of limonene.4)5)

  • 1)Fukumoto et al., Stress and Health, 2008
  • 2)Zhou et al., Nutritional Neuroscience,, 2013
  • 3)Miller et al., Cancer Prevntion Research, 2013
  • 4)Ajikumaran Nair S et al., Phytomedicine, 2018
  • 5)Chaudhary et al., Human & Experimental Toxicology, 2012

Linalool

Linalool
  • IUPAC Name
    3,7-Dimethylocta-1,6-dien-3-ol
  • Molecular Formula
    C10H18O
  • Molecular Weight
    154.25 g/mol
  • CAS No.
    78-70-6
  • Structure
    Monoterpene alcohol

Functions and Efficacies of Linalool

in slico in vitro ex vivo in vivo
Non-clinical Clinical
Mice Rats Guinea Pigs Insects Rabbits Human
Anti-inflammatory Effects ○
Stress Reduction ○ ○
Anti-oxidant Effects ○

Anti-inflammatory Effects

A study reported that linalool reduced hindlimb edema in rats induced by carrageenan administration. 1)

Stress Reduction

A study reported that linalool treatment increased the time it took for mice to escape to a dark room when under light stress. Additionally, it reduced the number and duration of attacks on other mice in a confined room, indicating its stress-reducing effects.2) Linalool inhalation was observed to reverse gene expression alterations in the hypothalamus associated with stress response in mice.3) Numerous studies have documented the stress-reducing capabilities of linalool.4)5)6)

Anti-oxidant Effects

A study reported that the addition of linalool was found to suppress the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) induced by UV irradiation in human skin fibroblasts.7)

  • 1)Peana et al., Phytomedicine, 2002
  • 2)Linck et al., Phytomedicine, 2010
  • 3)Yoshida et al., Neuroscience Letters, 2017
  • 4)Harada et al., Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience, 2018
  • 5)Souto-Maior et al., Pharmacology Biochemistry and Behavior, 2011
  • 6)Weston-Green et al., Frontiers in Scichiatry, 2021
  • 7)Gunaseelan et al., Plos One, 2017

IFRA

Bergamot：
There are restrictions on its use in the final product due to the possibility of phototoxicity caused by the presence of furocoumarins (bergapten).

Bergamot

※Only information for selected components are shown here.

Limonene：
Oxidized limonene can cause dermal sensitization. For essential oils with a high limonene content, it is advisable to use only when the level of peroxides is maintained at a minimum (20 mol/l) through the incorporation of antioxidants.

※Only information for selected components are shown here.

Linalool：
Oxidized linalool can cause dermal sensitization. For essential oils with a high linalool content, it is advisable to use only when the level of peroxides is maintained at a minimum (20 mol/l) through the incorporation of antioxidants.

※Only information for selected components are shown here.

References
Jennie Harding [Handbook of Essential Oil and Plant Oil] Tokyo-do Publishing, 2010.
Shinichiro Otsuki/Yukiko Ozaki [Scientific Name Etymology Dictionary of Herbs] Tokyo-do Publishing, 2009.
Jennie Harding [Illustrated Reference Book of Herbs] Sancho Publishing, 2012.
Freddy Ghozland/Xavier Fernandez [L’Herbier Parfume] Hara Publishing, 2013.
Kyohei Mikami [Comprehensive Guide to Essential Oils] Fragrance Journal, 2010.
Yuzuru Ogura [Dictionary of Plants] Tokyo-do Publishing, 1957.
Nobuo Ohashi [Dictionary of Medical Herbs] Tokyo-do Publishing, 2016.
Wanda Sellar [The directory of essential oils] Fragrance Journal, 1992.
Aroma Environment Association of Japan [AEAJ Aromatherapy Certification Official Textbook grade1&2] Sekaibunka, 1999.
Robert Tissearand [Essential Oil Safety] Fragrance Journal, 2018.
Ayako Berg [Aromatherapy Essential Oil Dictionary] Seibido Shuppan, 2022.
Azusa Annells [Enjoying Fragrance: An Illustrated Book of Aromas with Characteristics]Natsumesha CO.,LTD., 2023
International Fragrance Association, Bergamot oil expressed, 2020.
International Fragrance Association, Limonene, 1995.
International Fragrance Association, Linalool, 2004.
(All written in or translated to Japanese.)
Supervisor
Yamamoto Perfumery co., ltd.

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