Research out of Indonesia has isolated citronellal from Cymbopogon nardus L. and confirmed its benefits for wound healing. The results were published in Current Research on Biosciences and Biotechnology.
This study aimed to first isolate citronellal from the essential oil of C. nardus, then study its activity for burn healing in an animal model. The isolation method used column chromatography and a mixture of n-hexane-ethyl acetate as the mobile phase. The isolate obtained was used in an ointment at 0.25%, 0.5% and 1% prepared using vaseline flavum.
Based on spectroscopic data, the citronellal was successfully purified from the essential oil. Furthermore, in vivo tests showed the formula containing 1% citronellal possessed good wound healing effects. This was attributed to its antibacterial efficacy to prevent infection. In addition, its known antioxidant activity was believed to accelerate the regeneration of damaged cells and form new tissue.
