Isolation, Characterization, and Application of Citronellal as an Antinociceptive Nanoemulgel

Noor Fitri, Istiqomah Hastanti, Orryza Mutiara Illahi, Nasa Aulia Firdatunisa, Nabila Ayu Maulidia, Widya Fatriasari

Abstract

Citronellal is the major component of citronella essential oil and is widely used in perfumery, skincare, aromatherapy, and as a bio-additive, as well as a potential topical antinociceptive agent. However, its effectiveness is influenced by purity, volatility, and stability. This study first developed an efficient vacuum fractionation distillation method to isolate citronellal, evaluating variations in mass of fraction, reflux ratio, and temperature under –760 mmHg. Five methods (M1–M5) produced citronellal purities of 80.03%, 87.57%, 82.87%, 82.91%, and 79.94%, respectively, identifying 98ºC and a 12:6 reflux ratio (M2) as the most effective separation conditions. The isolated citronellal was then formulated into a nanoemulgel using high-pressure homogenization and evaluated for physicochemical properties, user acceptability, irritation, and antinociceptive activity. The antinociceptive activity was assessed using the tail immersion method, in which one-third of the animal tail was immersed in water at approximately 55 °C, the withdrawal latency was recorded and expressed as the percentage of maximum possible effect (%MPE). The optimized formula demonstrated small particle size (107.97 ± 0.84 nm), appropriate pH, good viscosity and spreadability, and stability under storage. The tail immersion test showed strong antinociceptive activity, with a maximum %MPE of 64.30%, which was higher than that of the commercial product (42.90%). Overall, optimized vacuum fractionation and NEGs formulation indicate promising potential for developing citronellal as a natural-based topical antinociceptive preparation.

Keywords

References

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DOI: 10.14416/j.asep.2026.08.017

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