The antibacterial activity of citrus
essential oils was tested against human pathogenic bacteria.
The results presented in Table 4 showed great differences
in the activity between citrus species and during ripening
stages. The oils were effective against Gram (+) and Gram
(−) bacteria, with a major activity against S. aureus and E.
coli. Bitter orange, lemon, and orange were effective against
P. aeruginosa only at maturity while mandarin oil remained
inactive against this strain. In accordance with our finding,
Espina et al. [12] reported no