Black pepper essential oil to enhance intravenous catheter insertion in patients with poor vein visibility: a controlled study

Alleviation of acute stress response by black pepper aroma administration

BACKGROUND

Black pepper is one of the most popular spices globally. As black pepper essential oil has not yet been used in the context of aromatherapy, this study examined the effect of black pepper aroma on cardiac and peripheral autonomic nervous system (ANS) activity under stressful conditions using an olfactometer to administer aroma in a precise and controlled manner to ensure reproducibility.

METHODS

A within-participant design experiment was conducted with 20 male university students who performed a 30-min calculation task as a short-term stressor under three aroma conditions: black pepper, ginger, and dipropylene glycol (DPG) (scentless air as a control). Each aroma was sporadically delivered (first 20 s of each 1-min interval) with the olfactometer during the task. Electrocardiograms and skin conductance level (SCL) were measured to evaluate ANS's physiological acute stress response. Subjective evaluations for the given stressful task and impressions on the types of aromas were assessed.

RESULTS

The physiological acute stress response induced by the short-term stressor, which is characterized by the enhancement of the heart rate (HR) and SCL and decreases in the heart rate variability (HRV), was suppressed with black pepper: the increase in HR and reduction in HRV from the baseline were 38.9% (p = 0.048 when compared with DPG) and 32.9% smaller (p = 0.002 for multiple comparisons) than those in DPG, respectively, and the increase of SCL was 15.5% smaller (p = 0.005 for multiple comparisons) than that in ginger. However, there was no significant difference in subjective scores among the conditions.

CONCLUSION

Although black pepper is a stimulative agent, the study findings showed that black pepper aroma alleviated the physiological acute stress response, which can be beneficial in aromatherapy under stressful conditions.

Capsicum annuum Oleoresin Nanoemulgel - Design Characterization and In vitro Investigation of Anticancer and Antimicrobial Activities

BACKGROUND

The use of naturally occurring bioactive materials is getting great attention owing to their safety and environmental properties. Oily compounds, known as oleoresins, are expected to provide an important source for the natural products industry aiming to develop novel treatments for skin conditions. In this work, Capsicum annuum oleoresin nanoemulgel formulations have been prepared and investigated for their antibacterial and anticancer properties.

METHODOLOGY

Several C. annuum oleoresin nanoemulgel formulations were prepared by incorporating a Carbopol 940 gel in a self-nanoemulsifying nanoemulsion consisting of C. annuum, tween 80, and span 80. The systems were characterized for particle size, polydispersity index (PDI), zeta potential, and rheology. The in vitro antimicrobial and cytotoxic activities of the optimum formulation were evaluated.

RESULTS

The selected formulation is composed of 40% tween, 10% span 80, and 40% C. annuum oleoresin. This formulation produced a stable nanoemulsion with a narrow PDI value of 0.179 ± 0.08 and a droplet size of 104.0 ± 2.6 nm. Results of the in vitro antimicrobial studies indicated high potency of the systems against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) (zone of inhibition of 29 ± 1.9 mm), E. coli (33 ± 0.9 mm), K. pneumonia (30 ± 1.4 mm), and C. albicans (21 ± 1.5 mm), as compared to the reference antibiotic, ampicillin (18 ± 1.4 mm against K. pneumonia), and antifungal agent, fluconazole (12 ± 0.1 mm against C. albicans). Furthermore, cytotoxicity results, expressed as IC50 values, revealed that the oleoresin and its nanoemulgel had the best effects against the HepG2 cell line (IC50 value of 79.43 μg/mL for the nanoemulgel) and MCF7 (IC50 value of 57.54 μg/mL), and the most potent effect was found against 3T3 (IC50 value of 45.7 μg/m- L). On the other side, the system did not substantially exhibit activity against By-61 and Hela.

CONCLUSION

C. annuum oleoresin and its nanoemulgel can be considered valuable sources for the discovery of new antibacterial, antifungal, and anticancer compounds in the pharmaceutical industry, especially due to their potent activity against various cancer cell lines as well as bacterial and fungal strains.

Stability and bioactivity evaluation of black pepper essential oil nanoemulsion

Black pepper essential oil has the same disadvantages as other plant essential oils, such as volatilization, high sensitivity to light and heat and poor water solubility, which leads to great limitations in application. This study improved the stability and antibacterial properties of black pepper essential oil (BPEO) based on a nano-emulsification process. Tween 80 was selected as the emulsifier to prepare the BPEO nanoemulsion. Gas chromatograph - mass spectrometer (GC-MS) was used to analyze the composition of BPEO, of which d-limonene was the main component (37.41%). After emulsification, black pepper nanoemulsion was obtained (droplet size was 11.8 nm). The water solubility and stability of the emulsions at 25 °C were also improved with decreasing particle size. Antimicrobial properties of plant pathogens (Colletotrichum gloeosporioides, Botryodiplodia theobromae) and foodborne pathogens (Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli) were evaluated by disk diffusion and other techniques for determining minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimal bactericidal concentration (MBC). With 12.5 mg mL^-1 MIC and 25 mg mL^-1 MBC, BPEO inhibited the growth of two tested plant pathogens and two foodborne pathogens. Essential oils (EO) were encapsulated in a nanoemulsion system to enhance the bacteriostatic effect of essential oils and reduce MIC and MBC concentrations. After emulsification, the biological activity (antimicrobial and antioxidant) of the BPEO nanoemulsion was considerably improved, nano-emulsification had certain significance for the study of EOs.

Effect of topical application of black pepper essential oil on peripheral intravenous catheter insertion: A randomized controlled study

OBJECTIVE

The literature describes many techniques to increase vein visibility and palpability that facilitate peripheral intravenous catheter insertion. However, there is only one study examining the effect of topical essential black pepper oil on veins. We aimed to determine the effects of topical application of black pepper essential oil on peripheral intravenous catheter insertion success.

METHODS

This randomized controlled trial was carried out on 60 patients randomly assigned to either the experimental group (n=30) or the control group (n=30) reporting to the endoscopy unit of the clinic between May 2019 and October 2019. The study results were evaluated using an information form, a catheter insertion form, and a visual analog scale (VAS). In the experimental group, black pepper essential oil was used to increase vein degree before the procedure, while in the control group, no extra interventions were applied. The time taken in determining an appropriate vein, time taken for successful catheter insertion, and the patient's and nurse's satisfaction after the process were recorded.

RESULTS

Significant improvements in vein degree were detected after the experimental group's oil application (p₁<0.001). The period of appropriate vein selection and successful catheter insertion showed a statistically significant decrease in the experimental group (p<0.05). The satisfaction levels of patients and nurses in the control group were significantly lower than those of the patients from the experimental group (p<0.05).

CONCLUSION

Topical black pepper oil application can increase the vein degree and the success of the procedure.

Volatiles of Black Pepper Fruits (Piper nigrum L.)

Black pepper (Piper nigrum) is historically one of the most important spices and herbal medicines, and is now cultivated in tropical regions worldwide. The essential oil of black pepper fruits has shown a myriad of biological activities and is a commercially important commodity. In this work, five black pepper essential oils from eastern coastal region of Madagascar and six black pepper essential oils from the Amazon region of Brazil were obtained by hydrodistillation and analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The major components of the essential oils were α-pinene, sabinene, β-pinene, δ-3-carene, limonene, and β-caryophyllene. A comparison of the Madagascar and Brazilian essential oils with black pepper essential oils from various geographical regions reported in the literature was carried out. A hierarchical cluster analysis using the data obtained in this study and those reported in the literature revealed four clearly defined clusters based on the relative concentrations of the major components.

Accepted but Unacceptable: Peripheral IV Catheter Failure

Peripheral intravenous (IV) catheter insertion, the most common invasive hospital procedure performed worldwide, is associated with a variety of complications and an unacceptably high overall failure rate of 35% to 50% in even the best of hands. Catheter failure is costly to patients, caregivers, and the health care system. Although advances have been made, analysis of the mechanisms underlying the persistent high rate of peripheral IV failure reveals opportunities for improvement.

Accepted but unacceptable: peripheral IV catheter failure

Peripheral intravenous (IV) catheter insertion, the most common invasive hospital procedure performed worldwide, is associated with a variety of complications and an unacceptably high overall failure rate of 35% to 50% in even the best of hands. Catheter failure is costly to patients, caregivers, and the health care system. Although advances have been made, analysis of the mechanisms underlying the persistent high rate of peripheral IV failure reveals opportunities for improvement.

Essential oils for complementary treatment of surgical patients: state of the art

Aromatherapy is the controlled use of plant essences for therapeutic purposes. Its applications are numerous (i.e., wellbeing, labour, infections, dementia, and anxiety treatment) but often they have not been scientifically validated. The aim of the present study is to review the available literature to determine if there is evidence for effectiveness of aromatherapy in surgical patients to treat anxiety and insomnia, to control pain and nausea, and to dress wound. Efficacy studies of lavender or orange and peppermint essential oils, to treat anxiety and nausea, respectively, have shown positive results. For other aspects, such as pain control, essential oils therapy has shown uncertain results. Finally, there are encouraging data for the treatment of infections, especially for tea tree oil, although current results are still inconclusive. It should also be considered that although they are, allergic reactions and toxicity can occur after oral ingestion. Therefore, while rigorous studies are being carried out, it is important that the therapeutic use of essential oils be performed in compliance with clinical safety standards.