{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,13]],"date-time":"2026-03-13T23:43:28Z","timestamp":1773445408397,"version":"3.50.1"},"reference-count":31,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"5","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2020,5,12]],"date-time":"2020-05-12T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1589241600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Nutrients"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Bergamot essential oil (BEO) added to food and drink promotes a citrus flavour. Folklore suggests benefits on gastrointestinal functions but with little supporting evidence. BEO and major constituents (linalool, limonene, linalyl acetate) were therefore examined for any ability to influence neuromuscular contractions of human and rat colon. Circular muscle strips (macroscopically-normal human colon obtained following ethical approval at cancer surgery; Sprague\u2013Dawley rats) were suspended in baths (Krebs solution; 37 \u00b0C; 5% CO2 in O2) for measurement of neuronally-mediated contractions (prevented by tetrodotoxin or atropine) evoked by electrical field stimulation (5 Hz, 0.5 ms pulse width, 10s\/minute, maximally-effective voltage), or contractions evoked by KCl (submaximally-effective concentrations). BEO and each constituent concentration dependently inhibited neuronally-mediated and KCl-induced contractions. In human: apparent pIC50 for BEO (volume\/volume Krebs), respectively, 3.8 \u00b1 0.3 and 4.4 \u00b1 0.3; Imax 55.8% \u00b1 4.2% and 37.5% \u00b1 4.2%. For the constituents, the rank order of potency differed in human (linalool &gt; limonene &gt;&gt; linalyl-acetate) and rat colon (linalyl-acetate &gt; limonene = linalool), but rank order of efficacy was similar (linalool &gt;&gt; (BEO) = linalyl-acetate &gt;&gt; limonene). Thus, linalool had high efficacy but greater potency in human colon (Imax 76.8% \u00b1 6.9%; pIC50 6.7 \u00b1 0.2; n = 4) compared with rat colon (Imax 75.3% \u00b1 1.9%; pIC50 5.8 \u00b1 0.1; n = 4). The ability of BEO and linalool to inhibit human colon neuromuscular contractility provides a mechanism for use as complementary treatments of intestinal disorders.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/nu12051381","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2020,5,14]],"date-time":"2020-05-14T02:55:41Z","timestamp":1589424941000},"page":"1381","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":10,"title":["Inhibition of Neuromuscular Contractions of Human and Rat Colon by Bergamot Essential Oil and Linalool: Evidence to Support a Therapeutic Action"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"12","author":[{"given":"Marilisa","family":"Straface","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Preclinical and Translational Pharmacology, Department of Pharmacy, Health Science and Nutrition, University of Calabria, 87036 Rende, Italy"},{"name":"Blizard Institute, Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, London E1 4NS, UK"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Raj","family":"Makwana","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Blizard Institute, Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, London E1 4NS, UK"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Alexandra","family":"Palmer","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Blizard Institute, Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, London E1 4NS, UK"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-1727-3158","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Laura","family":"Rombol\u00e0","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Preclinical and Translational Pharmacology, Department of Pharmacy, Health Science and Nutrition, University of Calabria, 87036 Rende, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Joanne","family":"Aleong","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Pathology, Royal London Hospital, Barts Health NHS Trust, London E1 1BB, UK"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Luigi","family":"Morrone","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Preclinical and Translational Pharmacology, Department of Pharmacy, Health Science and Nutrition, University of Calabria, 87036 Rende, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-4231-1945","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Gareth","family":"Sanger","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Blizard Institute, Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, London E1 4NS, UK"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2020,5,12]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","unstructured":"Calapai, G., and Delb\u00f2, M. 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