Bergamot Oil
Scientific Name(s): Citrus bergamia Risso et Poiteau
Common Name(s): Bergamot, Oleum bergamotte
Medically reviewed by Drugs.com. Last updated on Sep 21, 2021.
Clinical Overview
Use
Bergamot oil is widely used as a flavoring and scenting agent. Research has been conducted to evaluate bergamot oil's potential cardiovascular, antifungal, and CNS (eg, antinociceptive, anti-anxiety, antidepressant) effects. However, there are limited quality clinical trials to support any of these uses. See also Bergamot Juice monograph.
Dosing
Clinical studies are lacking to provide dosage recommendations. Bergamot oil is principally used in aromatherapy. Direct topical use is discouraged due to psoralen photodermatotoxicity; internal use may cause muscular cramping and should also be avoided.
Contraindications
Contraindications have not been identified.
Pregnancy/Lactation
Avoid use. Information regarding safety and efficacy in pregnancy and lactation is lacking.
Interactions
None well documented.
Adverse Reactions
Bergapten, a furocoumarin found in bergamot oil, has been shown to alter potassium channel currents, causing twitching and muscle cramps. There is a case report of a 44-year-old man who experienced muscle cramps, fasciculations, paresthesias, and blurred vision after consuming up to 4 L (approximately 1 gallon) of Earl Grey tea flavored with bergamot oil daily. All symptoms disappeared after switching to pure black tea.
Toxicology
Photosensitizing components can induce rashes and pathologic cellular changes. Contact with leave-on skin products containing bergamot oil should be limited to 0.4%, with no restrictions on rinse-off products or non–skin contact products.
Scientific Family
- Rutaceae (Rue); subfamily Esperidea
Source
The bergamot, a small tree native to tropical Asia, is cultivated extensively in Reggio Calabria, a coastal city in southern Italy, and cultivated on a smaller scale on the Ivory Coast and in Argentina and Brazil. The trees have star-shaped white flowers; round, yellow fruits; and large, dark-green, oval-shaped leaves similar to those of lemon trees.Navarra 2015 The peel of the fresh, nearly ripe fruit is the source of bergamot oil, which is composed of volatile (93% to 96%) and nonvolatile (4% to 7%) fractions.Navarra 2015 Bergamot is related to bitter orange (Citrus aurantium); a synonym of C. bergamia is Citrus aurantium L. subspecies bergamia.Khan 2009, USDA 2018 C. bergamia should not be confused with scarlet bergamot (Monarda didyma L.) or wild bergamot (Monarda fistulosa L.), which belong to the mint family.
History
Bergamot oil is used as a citrus flavor and is often added to perfumes and cosmetics. Bergamot oil is used to flavor Earl Grey tea Verzera 2003 and halva, a Middle Eastern sesame paste confection. In Italian folk medicine, bergamot oil has been used to treat fever; parasitic disease; mouth, skin, respiratory and urinary tract, and gonococcal infections; leucorrhoea; vaginal pruritus; tonsillitis; and sore throat.Navarra 2015
Chemistry
The oil is obtained by cold press.Cappello 2016 Further purification by vacuum distillation, solvent extraction, or chromatography yields terpeneless (rectified) bergamot oil.Khan 2009 Bergamot oil is a complex mixture of more than 300 compounds. The most prevalent compounds are linalyl acetate (31%), linalool (11%), and limonene (36%).Han 2017 The quality of bergamot oil is determined according to the ...
