The present study aimed to evaluate the protective potential of carvacrol against depressive-like behavior and cognitive impairment prompted by chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) in mice. The ...animals were divided into six groups: Control (non-stressed), CARV (carvacrol at 50 mg/kg, p.o.), FLU (fluoxetine at 10 mg/kg, p.o.), CUMS (stressed), CUMS + CARV and CUMS + FLU, and the groups with CUMS were subjected to different stressors for 28 days. After treatment, mice underwent behavioral testing (open field, forced swimming, sucrose preference, social interaction, novel object recognition and Y-maze) and brain areas were removed for oxidative stress (MDA, nitrite/nitrate and GSH levels) and cytokine (IL-1β and TNF-α) content assays. The results revealed that CARV administration reversed depressive-like behavior and significantly ameliorated the cognitive deficit induced by CUMS, as well as was able to attenuate oxidative stress (decreased MDA and nitrite/nitrate levels and increased GSH levels). In addition, a significant reduction in hippocampal IL-1β and TNF-α levels was observed, demonstrating a potential anti-neuroinflammatory activity. Taken together, the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities observed in this study indicate that CARV is a promising drug for antidepressant treatment.
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•Carvacrol improved the depression-associated behaviors of CUMS mice;•Carvacrol attenuated oxidative stress in the brain areas of mice;•Carvacrol decreased the hippocampal levels of IL-1β and TNF-α;•Carvacrol can mitigate depressive-like behaviors in mice.
Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) affect worldwide and influence people from diverse cultures, socioeconomic status, ethnicities, and healthcare systems. The underlying pathogenesis of CVD predominately ...includes atherosclerotic plaques, which further lead to coronary artery disease and peripheral vascular diseases, resulting in stroke, arrhythmias, myocardial infarction, and many more. Conventional pharmacological therapies that treat CVDs are costly and have numerous side effects. Despite the effectiveness of these therapies, remarkable gaps remained in the treatment of CVDs. Consequently, traditional herbs and phytomedicines have revived interest as natural remedies. Phenolic monoterpene, carvacrol, was reported to have numerous pharmacological applications. This review aims to provide comprehensive, categorized, and updated mechanisms by which carvacrol shows its cardioprotective effect in various heart illnesses to analyze its therapeutic ability. Comprehensive literature forage was carried out, and the available information regarding carvacrol and CVDs was retrieved using scientific electronic search (PubMed, Google Scholar, and Web of Science). In this review, we focused on the therapeutic role and underlying mechanism of carvacrol in CVDs as per existing literature evidence. We highlighted the benefits of carvacrol in myocardial infarction, cardiac hypertrophy, hypertension, cardiac arrhythmia, sepsis-induced cardiomyopathy, drug-induced cardiotoxicity, and stroke/cerebral ischemic/reperfusion injury and enumerated the potential mechanism of action. Carvacrol may have shown efficacy against various CVDs by antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Further detailed studies are required to translate the carvacrol from preclinical candidate to clinical hope.
•Nanoemulsions of Satureja khuzestanica essential oil (SKEO) were prepared using polyvinyl alcohol as surfactant.•Nanoemulsions of SKEO were added into the HPMC solutions to form active edible ...films.•Physical and mechanical characteristics of the fabricated edible films were evaluated.•Antibacterial properties of SKEO edible films were proved in solid, liquid and vapor phases against food pathogens.
This study was conducted in response to a gap in the production of hydroxyl propyl methyl cellulose (HPMC) edible films from Satureja khuzestanica essential oil (SKEO) and to survey the preservation effect of natural edible films on the vapor phase. For these purpose varying concentrations of SKEO ranging from 1.25 % (EF1) to 7.5 % (EF5) led to producing different edible films for potential food packaging applications and the physicochemical, mechanical, and antimicrobial properties of edible films were evaluated across solid, liquid, and vapor phases. The incorporation of nanoemulsions into the polymer films led to an increase in thickness and opacity, while the addition of SKEO resulted in reduced water solubility without impacting film density. Notably, the antibacterial efficacy of the films was most pronounced against S. aureus, with a zone of inhibition measuring 41 ± 1 mm for EF5 on solid media. Time killing assays further demonstrated that specific formulations (EF3, EF4, and EF5) were capable of eradicating all microorganisms within 60 min. Moreover, SKEO edible films exhibited significant inhibitory effects against E. coli under refrigeration conditions (4 °C). These results highlighted the effect of herbal edible films in enhancing the functionality of bioactive food packaging technologies.
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The genus Lavandula encompasses plants commonly known for their bioactivities and applications as insecticides. Despite this recognition, certain species such as Lavandula mairei Humbert have ...received no attention. For this reason, our study offers a close insight into the chemical profile, insecticidal (i.e. fumigant and contact toxicity), repellent, and antifeedant effect of Lavandula mairei var. antiatlantica (Maire) Maire essential oil (LMEO) against Sitophilus oryzae (L.), a major stored product insect. Additionally, the major compound of LMEO, i.e. carvacrol, was also tested for the aforementioned bioactivities. In the fumigant bioassays LMEO and carvacrol showed LC50 values of 69.5 and 69.3 μL/L of air, respectively, after 72 h while in the contact bioassays LC50 values of 0.14 and 0.117 μL/insect, respectively, after 24 h. In terms of antifeedant effect, carvacrol and LMEO significantly influenced the Feeding Deterrent Index (FDI) recording 83.2 and 55.0%, respectively, at a concentration of 3.2%. Furthermore, a notable reduction of 5.5 and 2.1-fold in Relative Consumption Rate (RCR) was observed for carvacrol and LMEO, respectively, compared to the control. Regarding the repellent effect, carvacrol and LMEO exhibited percentages of repellency (PR) of 94 and 82%, respectively, at 0.312 μL/cm2 after 24 h. In conclusion, our study underscores the significant insecticidal, feeding deterrent, and repellent effects of LMEO and its major compound against the rice weevil. Its cultivable potential and bioactivities confirmed through this study promote its use as sustainable pest control solution.
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•LMEO exhibited insecticidal effects against Sitophilus oryzae adults through fumigation and contact exposure routes.•Lavandula mairei EO repelled and disrupted the appetite of S. oryzae.•Carvacrol was identified as the major compound of Lavandula mairei var. antiatlantica essential oil (LMEO).•All the bioactivities previously observed using LMEO was confirmed using carvacrol.
To study potential ramifications of antimicrobial resistance, we carried out adaptive laboratory evolution assays (ALE) to isolate three resistant variants (RVs) of Salmonella enterica Typhimurium, ...employing three different types of food preservation methods: 1) an emergent technology, plasma-activated water (PAW), leading to variant RV-PAW; a traditional method, heat, leading to variant RV-HT, and a natural antimicrobial compound, carvacrol, leading to variant RV-CAR. The variant resistant to plasma-activated water, RV-PAW, had mutations in rpoA and rpoD; it showed increased tolerance to heat in orange juice but ultimately did not pose a significant threat, as it exhibited a fitness cost at refrigeration temperature (8 °C), whereas its virulence against Caenorhabditis elegans decreased. The variant resistant to heat, RV-HT, had mutations in flhC, dnaJ: it exhibited a fitness cost at high growth temperatures (43 °C) and induced morphofunctional alterations in C. elegans. The variant resistant to carvacrol, RV-CAR, had mutations in sseG, flhA, wbaV, lon; this variant not only exhibited significantly higher thermotolerance in both laboratory media and food models but also effectively increased its growth fitness at refrigeration temperatures while retaining its virulence, evidenced by the highest percentage of Smurf phenotype in C. elegans.
To address these challenges, we applied a process combining thermal treatment with citral, with the aim of leveraging the sublethal damage caused in RVs by heat treatments in orange juice. This approach achieves enhanced microbial inactivation without having to escalate the intensity of the thermal treatment. The result was particularly encouraging in the case of RV-CAR, the most challenging strain, for which we improved lethality by up to 3 log10 inactivation cycles.
•Growth fitness of resistant variants (RVs) varied with growth temperature.•Most RVs exhibited significant virulence potential.•RVs showed intrinsic cross-tolerance to heat in orange juice.•The combination of heat and citral improved RV inactivation.•The emergence of RVs within the food chain might compromise food safety.
Background and objectives: Overuse and misuse of antibiotics in the agricultural and healthcare sectors have led to the emergence of antibiotic-resistant strains. Therefore, finding alternative ...antimicrobial compounds, such as phytochemicals, is of great importance. This study evaluated the feasibility of carvacrol as an antifungal agent in suppressing the planktonic and hyphal growth of clinical isolates of fluconazole-susceptible and -resistant Candida tropicalis. Methods: Clinical isolates of fluconazole-resistant C. tropicalis were identified using the CLSI guidelines and the World Health Organization's WHONET software. The inhibitory effect of carvacrol on planktonic cells was assessed by determining the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and time-kill profile. The inhibitory effect of carvacrol on hyphal growth was studied by using light field microscopy. Results: The findings indicated that 50% of clinical isolates of C. tropicalis were resistant to fluconazole. The MIC90 and MIC50 of carvacrol against clinical isolates of fluconazole-susceptible and -resistant C. tropicalis were 25.00-300.00 µg/ml and 12.50-100.00 µg/ml, respectively. The time-kill analysis indicated that carvacrol exhibited fungicidal activity against the fluconazole-susceptible and -resistant C. tropicalis isolates 2-48 hours after exposure. Moreover, planktonic and hyphal growth of the isolates decreased significantly after exposure to carvacrol. Conclusion: The findings revealed that carvacrol exhibits inhibitory effects on the planktonic and hyphal cells of fluconazole-susceptible and -resistant C. tropicalis isolates. Therefore, the antifungal potential of carvacrol as a natural antifungal could be further exploited for the treatment of resistant C. tropicalis infections
•Ensure food for a growing population is a concern to governmental authorities.•Essential oils have antimicrobial activities against foodborne pathogens.•Their application for food preservation is ...hampered by its high volatility and low solubility.•Encapsulation of bioactive compounds is an efficient strategy to overcome limitations.•The cationic charge of nanoparticles facilitates microbial membrane penetration.
Carvacrol (CAR) is a natural bioactive compound with antioxidant and antimicrobial activity that is present in essential oils. The application of CAR in food preservation is hampered by its high volatility, low solubility in water, and susceptibility to light, heat and oxygen degradation. Polylactide (PLA) is an FDA-approved polymer derived from renewable resources. Controlled release of CAR from PLA nanoparticles (NPs) could improve its antimicrobial efficacy and storage. In this study, negatively charged CAR-NPs and positively charged polyethylenimine (PEI)-coated CAR-(PEI)NPs were formulated by nanoprecipitation methods and characterised by dynamic light scattering, electron microscopy, encapsulation efficiency, and drug loading capacity. The positively charged (PEI)NPs enhanced the in vitro antimicrobial activity of CAR against Escherichia coli, Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella enterica and Staphylococcus aureus. Bacterial uptake, evaporation tests, release studies and NP stability after storage were assessed to provide evidence supporting CAR-(PEI)NPs as a potential nanocarrier for further development in food preservation.
The composite fibrous films were developed from zein and poly(lactic acid) (PLA) by incorporating carvacrol at three different concentrations (5, 10 and 20%) using electrospinning. The morphology and ...size of fibers obtained from both zein and PLA were affected by the level of the incorporated carvacrol. The Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) results showed that carvacrol was encapsulated in electrospun zein and PLA fibers. The antioxidant activity of carvacrol loaded zein fibers ranged from 62 to 75%, while antioxidant capacity of PLA fibers varied from 53 to 65% for 5–20% carvacrol content. The composite fibrous films showed a sustained diffusion controlled release behavior. Preliminary studies on whole wheat bread samples showed that carvacrol loaded electrospun zein and PLA fibers are able to preserve bread samples, indicating that they are good candidates for active food packaging applications to extend the shelf life of whole wheat bread.
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•Carvacrol was successfully encapsulated in electrospun zein and PLA fibers using electrospinning process.•Surface morphology of fibers significantly affected the release of carvacrol from electrospun fibers.•Carvacrol loaded electrospun fibers exhibited antioxidant activities.•The composite fibrous zein and PLA films at 20% carvacrol content inhibited 99.6 and 91.3% of the growth of mold and yeast.
Inspired by glycyrrhizin’s strong pharmacological activities and the directed self-assembly into hydrogels, we created a novel carrier-free, injectable hydrogel (CAR@glycygel) by combining ...glycyrrhizin with carvacrol (CAR), without any other chemical crosslinkers, to promote wound healing on bacteria-infected skin. CAR appeared to readily dissolve and load into CAR@glycygel. CAR@glycygel had a dense, porous, sponge structure and strong antioxidant characteristics. In vitro, it showed better antibacterial ability than free CAR. For methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), Staphylococcus aureus, and Escherichia coli, the diameter of inhibition zone values of CAR@glycygel were 3.80 ± 0.04, 3.31 ± 0.20 and 3.12 ± 0.24 times greater, respectively, than those of free CAR. The MICs for CAR@glycygel was 156.25 μg/mL while it was 1250.00 μg/mL for free CAR to these three bacteria. Its antibacterial mechanism appeared to involve destruction of the integrity of the bacterial cell wall and biomembrane, leading to a leakage of AKP and inhibition of biofilm formation. In vivo, CAR@glycygel effectively stopped bleeding. When applied to skin wounds on rats infected with MRSA, CAR@glycygel had strong bactericidal activity and improved wound healing. The wound healing rates for CAR@glycygel were 49.59 ± 15.78 %, 93.02 ± 3.09 % and 99.02 ± 0.55 % on day 3, day 7, and day 11, respectively, which were much better than blank control and positive control groups. Mechanisms of CAR@glycygel accelerating wound healing involved facilitating epidermis remolding, promoting the growth of hair follicles, stimulating collagen deposition, mitigating inflammation, and promoting angiogenesis. Overall, CAR@glycygel showed great potential as wound dressing for infected skin wounds.
•CAR@glycygel was simply prepared with two safe phytochemicals.•CAR was highly dissolved into CAR@glycygel.•CAR@glycygel had injectable, styptic, antiinflammatory and antibacterial characters.•Antibacterial mechanism of CAR@glycygel was revealed.•Improving wound healing mechanism of CAR@glycygel was also revealed.
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