Unbelievable! Lime Can Cure Diabetes?
Characteristics of Lime Plants
Citrus aurantifolia (Christm.) Swingle, commonly known as lime, is a plant species belonging to the genus Citrus and the family Rutaceae. This plant is characterized by its thorny shrubs or small trees, growing to a height of 5-6 meters, with either a single main trunk or multiple main trunks with irregular branches. The bark is smooth and varies in color from brown to gray. The leaves are yellowish-green to dark green, while the fruit is elliptical or elongated oval in shape, with a diameter ranging from 3 to 5 cm. The fruit's pulp is juicy and yellowish-green, turning yellow when fully ripe.
Pharmacological Activities of Lime
Lime plants (Citrus aurantifolia) are currently cultivated in tropical and subtropical countries, as most varieties are drought-tolerant and thrive in warm temperatures. These plants contain a significant amount of secondary metabolites, including alkaloids, coumarins, flavonoids, carotenoids, phenolics, terpenes, limonoids, and essential oils, which contribute to their diverse biological activities. Lime plants exhibit a range of pharmacological activities, such as antibacterial, anticancer, antioxidant, insecticidal, and anti-inflammatory effects. Lime plants exhibit various pharmacological activities, such as:
1. Antibacterial Activity
The antibacterial properties of lime are attributed to phenolic compounds and their derivatives, which act by denaturing bacterial cell proteins.
2. Antioxidant Activity
Lime’s antioxidant activity is derived from flavonoids, which are abundantly accumulated in the fruit peel and leaves.
3. Anticancer Activity
Compounds such as limonoids, flavonoids, essential oils, coumarins, vitamins, fatty acids, and quercetin—mostly found in the peel—are believed to contribute to anticancer effects.
4. Insecticidal Activity
The insecticidal activity of lime is linked to its essential oils, which exhibit high ovicidal activity, particularly in the leaves and bark. Ovicidal activity refers to the ability to kill or inhibit the development of insect or parasite eggs.
5. Anti-inflammatory Activity
The anti-inflammatory effects of lime are attributed to polyphenolic compounds such as hesperidin, naringin, and narirutin. Additionally, essential oil compounds such as geranial, limonene, and ⍺-terpinene help reduce inflammation by inhibiting immune cell migration, cytokine production, and protein extravasation.
Potential of Lime in Diabetes Treatment
Research conducted by Ramya et al. (2020) demonstrated that lime extracts, particularly from the peel, exhibit antidiabetic effects due to the presence of secondary metabolites like flavonoids and limonoids. Furthermore, a study by Kazeem et al. (2020) revealed that lime extracts could inhibit the activity of aldose reductase enzyme with an IC50 value of 138.66 μg/mL and sorbitol dehydrogenase enzyme with an IC50 value of 42.71 μg/mL.
Testing Medicine Product at IML Research
With the wide range of pharmacological benefits that lime offers, it is essential to ensure its safety and effectiveness through laboratory testing. IML Research provides comprehensive laboratory testing services to verify the quality, active ingredient concentration, and pharmacological efficacy of herbal plants such as lime in various medicinal formulations.
Test your medicinal products now at IML Research and ensure their quality is guaranteed!
Author: Devira
Editor: Sabilla
References:
Apraj, V., Thakur, N. D., Bhagwat, A., Mallya, R., Sawant, L., & Pandita, N. (2011). Pharmacognostic and phytochemical evaluation of Citrus aurantifolia (Christm) swingle PEEL. Pharmacognosy Journal, 3(26). https://doi.org/10.5530/pj.2011.26.12.
Chriscensia, E., Wibowo, E. C., Enriko, G., Wijaya, O. C., & Sahamastuti, A. a. T. (2020). Phytochemical Screening, Therapeutic Benefits, and Adverse Effects of Citrus aurantifolia – A Review. Indonesian Journal of Life Sciences, 2(2), 56–69. https://doi.org/10.54250/ijls.v2i2.41.
Indriyani, N. N., Anshori, J. Al, Permadi, N., Nurjanah, S., & Julaeha, E. (2023). Bioactive Components and Their Activities from Different Parts of Citrus aurantifolia (Christm.) Swingle for Food Development. In Foods (Vol. 12, Issue 10). https://doi.org/10.3390/foods12102036.
Kazeem, M. I., Bankole, H. A., Oladokun, T. I., Bello, A. O., & Maliki, M. A. (2020). Citrus aurantifolia (Christm.) Swingle (lime) Fruit Extract Inhibits the Activities of Polyol Pathway Enzymes. EFood, 1(4). https://doi.org/10.2991/efood.k.200824.001.
Ramya, S., Narayanan, V., Ponnerulan, B., Saminathan, E., & Veeranan, U. (2020). Potential of peel extracts of Punica granatum and Citrus aurantifolia on alloxan-induced diabetic rats. Beni-Suef University Journal of Basic and Applied Sciences, 9(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s43088-020-00049-9.
