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Sosa L, Espinoza LC, Valarezo E, Bozal N, Calpena A, Fábrega MJ, Baldomà L, Rincón M, Mallandrich M. Therapeutic Applications of Essential Oils from Native and Cultivated Ecuadorian Plants: Cutaneous Candidiasis and Dermal Anti-Inflammatory Activity. Molecules 2023; 28:5903. [PMID: 37570874 PMCID: PMC10420932 DOI: 10.3390/molecules28155903] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2023] [Revised: 07/28/2023] [Accepted: 07/29/2023] [Indexed: 08/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Essential oils are a complex mixture of aromatic substances whose pharmacological actions, including antimicrobial, antioxidant, anticancer, and anti-inflammatory activities, have been widely reported. This study aimed to evaluate the anti-Candida and dermal anti-inflammatory activity of essential oils from native and cultivated Ecuadorian plants. Essential oils from Bursera graveolens, Dacryodes peruviana, Mespilodaphne quixos, and Melaleuca armillaris were isolated by hydrodistillation and were characterized physically and chemically. Its tolerance was analyzed by in vitro and in vivo studies. The antifungal activity was studied against Candida albicans, Candida glabrata, and Candida parapsilosis, whereas the anti-inflammatory effect was evaluated by a mouse ear edema model. The main compounds were limonene, α-phellandrene, (E)-methyl cinnamate, and 1,8-cineole, respectively. All essential oils showed high tolerability for skin application, antifungal activity against the three Candida strains, and anti-inflammatory efficacy by decreasing edema and overexpression of pro-inflammatory cytokines. Dacryodes peruviana essential oil showed the highest antifungal activity. On the other hand, Dacryodes peruviana and Melaleuca armillaris showed the greatest anti-inflammatory potential, decreasing edema by 53.3% and 65.25%, respectively, and inhibiting the overexpression of TNF-α, IL-8, IL-17A, and IL-23. The results suggest that these essential oils could be used as alternative therapies in the treatment of both cutaneous candidiasis and dermal inflammation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lilian Sosa
- Microbiological Research Institute (IIM), National Autonomous University of Honduras (UNAH), Tegucigalpa 11101, Honduras;
- Research Institute of Applied Sciences and Technology, National Autonomous University of Honduras (UNAH), Tegucigalpa 11101, Honduras
| | - Lupe Carolina Espinoza
- Departamento de Química, Universidad Técnica Particular de Loja, Loja 1101608, Ecuador; (L.C.E.); (E.V.)
- Institut de Nanociència i Nanotecnologia (IN2UB), Universitat de Barcelona (UB), 08028 Barcelona, Spain;
| | - Eduardo Valarezo
- Departamento de Química, Universidad Técnica Particular de Loja, Loja 1101608, Ecuador; (L.C.E.); (E.V.)
| | - Núria Bozal
- Departament de Biologia, Sanitat i Medi Ambient, Facultat de Farmàcia i Ciències de l’Alimentació, Universitat de Barcelona (UB), 08028 Barcelona, Spain;
| | - Ana Calpena
- Institut de Nanociència i Nanotecnologia (IN2UB), Universitat de Barcelona (UB), 08028 Barcelona, Spain;
- Departament Farmàcia, Tecnologia Farmacèutica, i Físicoquímica, Facultat de Farmàcia i Ciències de l’Alimentació, Universitat de Barcelona (UB), 08028 Barcelona, Spain
| | - María-José Fábrega
- Department of Experimental and Health Sciences, Parc of Biomedical Research of Barcelona, Pompeu Fabra University, 08003 Barcelona, Spain;
| | - Laura Baldomà
- Departament de Bioquímica i Fisiologia, Facultat de Farmàcia i Ciències de l’Alimentació, Universitat de Barcelona (UB), 08028 Barcelona, Spain;
| | - María Rincón
- Departament de Ciència de Materials i Química Física, Facultat de Química, Universitat de Barcelona (UB), 08028 Barcelona, Spain;
| | - Mireia Mallandrich
- Institut de Nanociència i Nanotecnologia (IN2UB), Universitat de Barcelona (UB), 08028 Barcelona, Spain;
- Departament Farmàcia, Tecnologia Farmacèutica, i Físicoquímica, Facultat de Farmàcia i Ciències de l’Alimentació, Universitat de Barcelona (UB), 08028 Barcelona, Spain
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Motelica L, Vasile BS, Ficai A, Surdu AV, Ficai D, Oprea OC, Andronescu E, Jinga DC, Holban AM. Influence of the Alcohols on the ZnO Synthesis and Its Properties: The Photocatalytic and Antimicrobial Activities. Pharmaceutics 2022; 14:2842. [PMID: 36559334 PMCID: PMC9783502 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics14122842] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2022] [Revised: 12/14/2022] [Accepted: 12/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Zinc oxide (ZnO) nanomaterials are used in various health-related applications, from antimicrobial textiles to wound dressing composites and from sunscreens to antimicrobial packaging. Purity, surface defects, size, and morphology of the nanoparticles are the main factors that influence the antimicrobial properties. In this study, we are comparing the properties of the ZnO nanoparticles obtained by solvolysis using a series of alcohols: primary from methanol to 1-hexanol, secondary (2-propanol and 2-butanol), and tertiary (tert-butanol). While the synthesis of ZnO nanoparticles is successfully accomplished in all primary alcohols, the use of secondary or tertiary alcohols does not lead to ZnO as final product, underlining the importance of the used solvent. The shape of the obtained nanoparticles depends on the alcohol used, from quasi-spherical to rods, and consequently, different properties are reported, including photocatalytic and antimicrobial activities. In the photocatalytic study, the ZnO obtained in 1-butanol exhibited the best performance against methylene blue (MB) dye solution, attaining a degradation efficiency of 98.24%. The comparative study among a series of usual model dyes revealed that triarylmethane dyes are less susceptible to photo-degradation. The obtained ZnO nanoparticles present a strong antimicrobial activity on a broad range of microorganisms (bacterial and fungal strains), the size and shape being the important factors. This permits further tailoring for use in medical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ludmila Motelica
- National Research Center for Micro and Nanomaterials, University Politehnica of Bucharest, 060042 Bucharest, Romania
- National Research Center for Food Safety, University Politehnica of Bucharest, Splaiul Independentei 313, 060042 Bucharest, Romania
| | - Bogdan-Stefan Vasile
- National Research Center for Micro and Nanomaterials, University Politehnica of Bucharest, 060042 Bucharest, Romania
- National Research Center for Food Safety, University Politehnica of Bucharest, Splaiul Independentei 313, 060042 Bucharest, Romania
- Faculty of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnologies, University Politehnica of Bucharest, 1-7 Polizu St., 011061 Bucharest, Romania
| | - Anton Ficai
- National Research Center for Micro and Nanomaterials, University Politehnica of Bucharest, 060042 Bucharest, Romania
- National Research Center for Food Safety, University Politehnica of Bucharest, Splaiul Independentei 313, 060042 Bucharest, Romania
- Faculty of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnologies, University Politehnica of Bucharest, 1-7 Polizu St., 011061 Bucharest, Romania
- Academy of Romanian Scientists, Ilfov Street 3, 050044 Bucharest, Romania
| | - Adrian-Vasile Surdu
- National Research Center for Micro and Nanomaterials, University Politehnica of Bucharest, 060042 Bucharest, Romania
- National Research Center for Food Safety, University Politehnica of Bucharest, Splaiul Independentei 313, 060042 Bucharest, Romania
- Faculty of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnologies, University Politehnica of Bucharest, 1-7 Polizu St., 011061 Bucharest, Romania
| | - Denisa Ficai
- National Research Center for Micro and Nanomaterials, University Politehnica of Bucharest, 060042 Bucharest, Romania
- National Research Center for Food Safety, University Politehnica of Bucharest, Splaiul Independentei 313, 060042 Bucharest, Romania
- Faculty of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnologies, University Politehnica of Bucharest, 1-7 Polizu St., 011061 Bucharest, Romania
| | - Ovidiu-Cristian Oprea
- National Research Center for Micro and Nanomaterials, University Politehnica of Bucharest, 060042 Bucharest, Romania
- National Research Center for Food Safety, University Politehnica of Bucharest, Splaiul Independentei 313, 060042 Bucharest, Romania
- Faculty of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnologies, University Politehnica of Bucharest, 1-7 Polizu St., 011061 Bucharest, Romania
- Academy of Romanian Scientists, Ilfov Street 3, 050044 Bucharest, Romania
| | - Ecaterina Andronescu
- National Research Center for Micro and Nanomaterials, University Politehnica of Bucharest, 060042 Bucharest, Romania
- National Research Center for Food Safety, University Politehnica of Bucharest, Splaiul Independentei 313, 060042 Bucharest, Romania
- Faculty of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnologies, University Politehnica of Bucharest, 1-7 Polizu St., 011061 Bucharest, Romania
- Academy of Romanian Scientists, Ilfov Street 3, 050044 Bucharest, Romania
| | - Dan Corneliu Jinga
- Department of Medical Oncology, Neolife Medical Center, Ficusului Bd. 40, 077190 Bucharest, Romania
| | - Alina Maria Holban
- Microbiology and Immunology Department, Faculty of Biology, University of Bucharest, 077206 Bucharest, Romania
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Combining Essential Oils with Each Other and with Clotrimazole Prevents the Formation of Candida Biofilms and Eradicates Mature Biofilms. Pharmaceutics 2022; 14:pharmaceutics14091872. [PMID: 36145621 PMCID: PMC9503487 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics14091872] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2022] [Revised: 08/25/2022] [Accepted: 08/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Fungal infections by Candida spp. are opportunistic and most often occur in individuals with some predisposing factor. Essential oils (EO) have anti-Candida potential, being a therapeutic alternative to be explored, especially for superficial and mucosal candidiasis. The objective was to analyze the synergistic potential between the EO of Citrus limon, Cupressus sempervirens, Litsea cubeba and Melaleuca alternifolia, and each of them with clotrimazole, to inhibit in vitro the formation and eradication of Candida spp. biofilms. Added to this, the survival of Caenorhabditis elegans was evaluated after exposure to EO, clotrimazole and their synergistic combinations. Anti-Candida activity was determined by microdilution for the substances alone and in EO−EO and EO−clotrimazole combinations. The combinations were performed by the checkerboard method, and the reduction in the metabolic activity of biofilms was determined by the viability of MTT/menadione. C. elegans larvae survival was evaluated after 24 h of exposure to EO, clotrimazole and synergistic combinations. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of EO ranged from 500 to >4000 µg/mL. The lowest MIC (500 µg/mL) was for C. sempervirens and L. cubeba on a C. krusei isolate; for clotrimazole, the MIC ranged from 0.015 to 0.5 µg/mL. Biofilm inhibition and eradication both ranged from 1000 to >4000 µg/mL. The lethal concentration (LC50) of C. limon, L. cubeba and M. alternifolia was 2000 µg/mL for C. elegans, while for C. sempervirens and clotrimazole, it was not determined within the concentration limits tested. In combination, more than 85% of the larvae survived M. alternifolia−clotrimazole, M. alternifolia−L. cubeba, C. sempervirens−clotrimazole and C. sempervirens−C. limon combinations. This study is the first, to our knowledge, to present a synergistic relationship of EO−EO and EO−clotrimazole combinations on Candida spp. biofilms.
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Essential Oils, Phytoncides, Aromachology, and Aromatherapy—A Review. APPLIED SCIENCES-BASEL 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/app12094495] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
Chemical compounds from plants have been used as a medicinal source for various diseases. Aromachology is a unique field that studies the olfactory effects after inhaling aromatic compounds. Aromatherapy is a complementary treatment methodology involving the use of essential oils containing phytoncides and other volatile organic compounds for various physical and mental illnesses. Phytoncides possess an inherent medicinal property. Their health benefits range from treating stress, immunosuppression, blood pressure, respiratory diseases, anxiety, and pain to anti-microbial, anti-larvicidal, anti-septic, anti-cancer effects, etc. Recent advancements in aromatherapy include forest bathing or forest therapy. The inhalation of phytoncide-rich forest air has been proven to reduce stress-induced immunosuppression, normalize immune function and neuroendocrine hormone levels, and, thus, restore physiological and psychological health. The intricate mechanisms related to how aroma converts into olfactory signals and how the olfactory signals relieve physical and mental illness still pose enormous questions and are the subject of ongoing research. Aromatherapy using the aroma of essential oils/phytoncides could be more innovative and attractive to patients. Moreover, with fewer side effects, this field might be recognized as a new field of complementary medicine in alleviating some forms of physical and mental distress. Essential oils are important assets in aromatherapy, cosmetics, and food preservatives. The use of essential oils as an aromatherapeutic agent is widespread. Detailed reports on the effects of EOs in aromatherapy and their pharmacological effects are required to uncover its complete biological mechanism. This review is about the evolution of research related to phytoncides containing EOs in treating various ailments and provides comprehensive details from complementary medicine.
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