Revisiting the therapeutic properties of Limonene

Limonene, a naturally occurring terpene is mainly found to be present in citrus plants like orange, grapes, lemon, etc. Limonene exists in two enantiomeric forms which are R (D) and S (L). In the human body, limonene gets absorbed in multiple organs. Also, limonene gets excreted from the human body in 48h via urine. Animal studies, as well as human trials, have been conducted to check the chemopreventive and therapeutic properties as well as to evaluate the toxicity, dosage, and pharmacokinetics of limonene. Anticancer properties of limonene were observed against many types of cancer such as colon, pancreatic, lung, skin, liver, breast, gastric, etc. Moreover, limonene was also observed to be a good solvent of gall stones and found to dissolve various types of gall stones. Anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative properties of limonene are also very well studied and established in many researches. Limonene is also used as a gutta-fpercha agent (removes obstruction materials from the root canal), flavoring agent, food preservative and packaging, immunomodulatory agent, and involved in the production of other useful compounds. Other than chemopreventive and therapeutic properties, limonene has shown some adverse effects such as contact and fragrance allergy. Yet, limonene has emerged as a promising natural compound that can be used in preventing and curing various health-related problems in the future. This review article is an effort to consolidate the information about the usefulness of limonene in the alleviation of various ailments.