Bergamot Oil (Citrus bergamia)

Bergamot oil is an essential oil extracted from the rind of Citrus bergamia fruit and is not consumed as a food in meaningful quantities, so traditional macronutrient profiling (calories, protein, carbohydrates, fat per serving) is not applicable in the conventional sense. However, its bioactive chemical composition is well-characterized: Primary volatile compounds include linalyl acetate (25–45% of total composition), linalool (10–25%), limonene (5–15%), γ-terpinene (4–8%), β-pinene (3–7%), and sabinene (1–4%). Minor but bioactive constituents include bergapten (5-methoxypsoralen, a furanocoumotain at approximately 0.3–0.5% in non-bergapten-free variants), bergamottin (~0.1–0.3%), geraniol (~0.3–2%), nerol (~0.1–0.5%), and citronellal (trace amounts). Flavonoid polyphenols present in bergamot fruit extract (distinct from the oil) include brutieridin and melitidin, which are structurally similar to statins; these are more concentrated in fruit juice/pulp than in the essential oil itself. Vitamin C is present in the whole fruit (~50 mg/100g of juice) but is negligible in the distilled essential oil. The oil contains no meaningful fiber, protein, or mineral content. Bioavailability note: Linalool and linalool acetate are rapidly absorbed transdermally and via inhalation, reaching systemic circulation within minutes; oral bioavailability of the oil's terpenes is moderate but hampered by first-pass metabolism. Bergapten has significant photosensitizing activity and is removed in bergapten-free (FCF) preparations used in food and cosmetics.