Fourier Transformed Infrared Spectroscopy Analysis of Constituents of Lemon Essential Oils from Algeria

Three main tools are used to determine the structures of organic molecules. These tools are infrared (IR) spectroscopy, mass spectrometry (MS) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. Organic molecules absorb light (infrared, ultraviolet, etc.) at particular wavelengths based on different vibrational modes unique to the specific functional groups and structural features. In the present study, the volatile compounds of Lemon ( Citrus limon L.) collected from Collo, Skikda city (Algeria), were detected and identified by Fourier Transformed Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis (qualitative identification). FTIR allowed us to identify 10 volatile compounds and indicated than the functional groups of the essential oils are C-H (Alkene), C-H (aromatic) and C=C. The obtained results have shown that the essential oils can be fully utilized for pharmacy, cosmetology and industry.