December 24, 2021
The abnormal proliferation of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) plays a major role in cardiovascular diseases like atherosclerosis. VSMCs are found in the vascular wall and responsible for the tone and contractions of arteries, which regulate blood pressure and flow in response to specific metabolic demands.
It has been reported that natural compounds have a positive effect on cardiovascular diseases and improve some vascular functions. One of the promising novel treatments of vascular diseases in various natural products is essential oils. EOs and their constituents are promising as therapeutic agents as they have been demonstrated to functionally improve cardiovascular disease.
Lime (Citrus aurantifolia) is widely cultivated worldwide and is an excellent source of vitamins, particularly vitamin C. Lime EO has previously been used as a fragrance, an antimicrobial agent and for aromatherapy. Lime EO contains limonene, β-pinene, γ-terpinene, citral and linarul, among other compounds. Lime EO is a volatile complex mixture and has been used as a means to prevent, improve and treat diseases. Regarding the applications in cardiovascular disease, it has been demonstrated that daily intake of lemon (Citrus limon), a Citrus species that has a similar nutritional value to lime, lowers systolic blood pressure.
It has been reported that cold-pressed lime essential oil inhibited the proliferation of VSMCs, suggesting lime oil may be helpful for abnormal proliferation of VSMCs associated with cardiovascular diseases. The researchers concluded that lime oil represents a promising “nature-based therapeutic agent for obstructive vascular disease.”
Further research, including human clinical trials, is needed to determine the dosing and administration for lime oil to help support healthy cardiovascular system function. It is likely that oral use would be best in this instance to systemically deliver the lime oil throughout
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34815773/