Synergy and Sensory Harmonization in Essential Oil Blends of Zanthoxylum limonella, Z. bungeanum, and Z. simulans: A Chemical and Bioactive Evaluation
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.48048/tis.2026.13881Keywords:
Z. bungeanum, Z. limonella, Z. simulans, Antioxidant, C. acnes inhibition, Synergistic effectAbstract
Essential oils (EOs) from the genus Zanthoxylum are widely valued for their traditional medicinal and culinary uses. There is limited research on the synergistic effects of their combinations. This study investigated the volatile profile and antioxidant activity of EOs from Z. limonella (ZL), Z. bungeanum (ZB), and Z. simulans (ZS) at different extraction times. GC-MS analysis identified key constituents, including: D-limonene (45.9%) and sabinene (22.76%) in ZL, Eucalyptol (15.46%) and terpinen-4-ol (12.44%) for ZB, and Sabinene (17.21%) and xanthoxylin (16.68%) in ZS. The highest antioxidant activity was observed at 3 h for ZB and at 7 hours for ZL and ZS. Importantly, the ZL:ZB:ZS combinations exhibited significant synergistic antioxidant effects, reaching 1.78-fold at the 2:3:1 ratio. The inhibition of C. acnes was observed by a clear zone measurement. ZL has the highest activity, followed by ZB and ZS, respectively. The 2:3:1 ratio remained the highest synergized combination (1.27 times higher than expected). The combinations showed lower cytotoxicity against NIH/3T3 cell lines than ZS alone. These findings demonstrate that blending enhances bioactivity while achieving sensory harmonization by masking pungent odors with citrus notes. This could underscore their potential as versatile bioactive agents for multiple applications.
HIGHLIGHTS
- Optimized the hydrodistillation process for Zanthoxylum limonella, bungeanum, and Z. simulans, revealing that a 7-hour extraction maximizes the retention of key bioactive volatiles like D-limonene and xanthoxylin.
- Identified a specific 2:3:1 (ZL:ZB:ZS) blend ratio that achieved a 1.78-fold synergistic increase in antioxidant capacity and a 1.27-fold enhancement in Cutibacterium acnes
- Demonstrated sensory harmonization by successfully masking the pungent, “curry-like” odor of simulans with fresh citrus and herbaceous notes from Z. limonella and Z. bungeanum.
- Proven that multi-oil blending mitigates individual cytotoxicity, maintaining cell viability above 80% while simultaneously amplifying biological efficacy compared to single-oil applications.
- Provided a scientific validation for the traditional “Mala” spice combination, establishing a framework for its use as a standardized, safe, and potent bioactive agent in food and cosmetic formulations.
GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT
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