Oregano and clove essential oils induce surface alteration of Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

The antimicrobial properties of volatile aromatic oils have been recognized since antiquity. Oregano and clove oils have been shown to possess a broad spectrum of antimicrobial activity. In this paper, the fungicidal action of these two essential oils was studied on the yeast model Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Yeast cell lysis was shown by the release of substances absorbing at 260 nm. In addition, scanning electron microscopy analyses revealed that the surface of treated cells by oregano and clove oils was significantly damaged.

Evaluation of carvacrol and eugenol as prophylaxis and treatment of vaginal candidiasis in an immunosuppressed rat model.

OBJECTIVES: Anticandidal activity of carvacrol and eugenol, the major phenolic components of oregano and clove essential oils, respectively, were tested in vivo. METHODS: Efficacy evaluation of carvacrol and eugenol in the prophylaxis and treatment of experimental vaginal candidiasis was performed in immunosuppressed rats. The anticandidal activity was analysed by microbiological and histological techniques and was compared with that of nystatin. RESULTS: Microbiologically, prophylactic treatment with carvacrol eradicated the vaginal fungal burden of infected rats, whereas eugenol reduced the number of colony counts of Candida albicans in vaginas of infected rats by 98.9% 10 days after inoculation. Therapeutic treatment for 7 consecutive days with carvacrol was able to eradicate the vaginal candidal burden in 7/9 of the infected rats and reduced the number of colony counts of C. albicans in vaginas of the two remaining rats by 98%. Treatment with eugenol completely cured 2/9 of the infected animals, but the 7/9 still infected showed an 84% reduction of colony counts of C. albicans in their vaginas. Histologically, in all treated rats, no Candida organisms were found in the lumina of the vagina; this was in contrast to control groups in which many yeasts, strongly stained with periodic acid-Schiff, were observed. The results obtained with nystatin used at 10-fold minimal inhibitory concentration confirm the validity of this model. CONCLUSIONS: Carvacrol and eugenol could be considered as promising products in the treatment of vaginal candidiasis. This work is a preliminary contribution to the development of a new generation of efficient and natural antifungal agents for curative treatment and prophylaxis.

Antifungal treatment with carvacrol and eugenol of oral candidiasis in immunosuppressed rats.

Carvacrol and eugenol, the main (phenolic) components of essential oils of some aromatic plants, were evaluated for their therapeutic efficacy in the treatment of experimental oral candidiasis induced by Candida albicans in immunosuppressed rats. This anticandidal activity was analyzed by microbiological and histopathological techniques, and it was compared with that of nystatin, which was used as a positive control. Microbiologically, carvacrol and eugenol significantly (p<0.05) reduced the number of colony forming units (CFU) sampled from the oral cavity of rats treated for eight consecutive days, compared to untreated control rats. Treatment with nystatin gave similar results. Histologically, the untreated control animals showed numerous hyphae on the epithelium of the dorsal surface of the tongue. In contrast no hyphal colonization of the epithelium was seen in carvacrol-treated animals, while in rats treated with eugenol, only a few focalized zones of the dorsal surface of the tongue were occupied by hyphae. In the nystatin treated group, hyphae were found in the folds of the tongue mucosa. Thus, the histological data were confirmed by the microbiological tests for carvacrol and eugenol, but not for the nystatin-treated group. Therefore, carvacrol and eugenol could be considered as strong antifungal agents and could be proposed as therapeutic agents for oral candidiasis.

Antifungal treatment with carvacrol and eugenol of oral candidiasis in immunosuppressed rats

Carvacrol and eugenol, the main (phenolic) components of essential oils of some aromatic plants, were evaluated for their therapeutic efficacy in the treatment of experimental oral candidiasis induced by Candida albicans in immunosuppressed rats. This anticandidal activity was analyzed by microbiological and histopathological techniques, and it was compared with that of nystatin, which was used as a positive control. Microbiologically, carvacrol and eugenol significantly (p<0.05) reduced the number of colony forming units (CFU) sampled from the oral cavity of rats treated for eight consecutive days, compared to untreated control rats. Treatment with nystatin gave similar results. Histologically, the untreated control animals showed numerous hyphae on the epithelium of the dorsal surface of the tongue. In contrast no hyphal colonization of the epithelium was seen in carvacrol-treated animals, while in rats treated with eugenol, only a few focalized zones of the dorsal surface of the tongue were occupied by hyphae. In the nystatin treated group, hyphae were found in the folds of the tongue mucosa. Thus, the histological data were confirmed by the microbiological tests for carvacrol and eugenol, but not for the nystatin-treated group. Therefore, carvacrol and eugenol could be considered as strong antifungal agents and could be proposed as therapeutic agents for oral candidiasis.

Empowering home care nurses through education.

The recent increase in specialized patient care creates a need to produce well-rounded home care nurses who are able to provide quality holistic care to their patients. Empowering the nursing staff to provide this care generates the need to develop creative modes of teaching and updating patient assessment skills. One visiting nurse association implemented a two-day nursing skills lab to achieve this goal.