A study of oil of bergamot and its importance as a phototoxic agent.

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Abstract
It is important in photopatch testing when using oil of bergamot [from Citrus bergomia], to have determined the concentration of the active psoralen, bergapten [5-methoxypsoralen], so as to avoid false negative responses in the assessment of phototoxic reactions. Techniques for assessing the phototoxic components of oil of bergamot are described and quantitative analyses of bergapten, the only significant photoactive compound in the samples examined, are reported. The phototoxicity of bergapten was nearly the same as that of xanthotoxin (8-MOP) in tests on human skin.