Citrus bergamia (synonym: C. aurantium bergamia) is a small tree in the citrus family, native to the Italian region of Calabria. The tree bears small, round to pear-shaped fruits known as bergamot oranges. Bergamot is a highly regional crop: The Calabrian coast produces 90% of the world supply of bergamot.[1] Bergamot should not be confused with “wild bergamot” (Monarda fistulosa), a totally unrelated herb in the mint family.
Bergamot essential oil (BEO) is the peel oil of the bergamot fruit. The oil has a distinctive and pleasant aroma, recognizable as the characteristic scent of Earl Grey tea. This oil has a long history of use in medicine, perfumery, and food and is now widely used in aromatherapy.[2][3] Historically, bergamot oil was used as a treatment for conditions as varied as wounds, burns, toothaches, scabies, and insomnia and as an anti-inflammatory, a sedative, and an antimalarial.[4]
Bergamot oil can be extracted by pressing and/or by distillation, and its composition depends on the extraction method and on whether any further processing was done to remove or isolate various constituents. Therefore, several preparations of bergamot oil exist, including:[2][5]
| Preparation | Abbreviation | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| Bergamot essential oil | BEO | Peel oil of bergamot fruit, usually cold-pressed |
| Bergapten-free BEO | BEO-BF | BEO with the furocoumarin bergapten chemically removed |
| Furocoumarin-free BEO | Bergamot FCF | BEO with all furocoumarins removed, usually by vacuum distillation |
| Bergamot essential oil Nonvolatile Fraction | BEO-NVF | The nonvolatile fraction of cold-pressed bergamot essential oil: waxes, etc |
| Bergamot Essential Oil Hydrocarbon Fraction-Free and Bergapten-Free | BEO-HF/BF | BEO with bergaptens and the nonvolatile fraction removed |
| BEO Monoterpene Hydrocarbons-Free | BEO-MHF | BEO minus its monoterpene hydrocarbons, such as limonene and β-pinene |
Note: BEO-MHF may also be referred to as “terpeneless BEO,” “deterpened BEO” or “folded BEO”. Terpenes like limonene and β-pinene are major components of BEO but contribute relatively little to its fragrance; removing them concentrates the more aromatic components.[5]
The rest of the bergamot fruit has historically found few uses, but over the last decade, bergamot juice, peel and/or pith extracts have attracted increasing research attention.[1]