ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION: Studies prove that the use of medicinal plants is a custom carried out by man since ancient times, the evolution of the pharmaceutical industry makes more people consume more natural products. Currently, we can observe that mouthwashes containing natural compounds have shown a growth in demand in the markets and in the professional community. OBJECTIVE: The present study aims to carry out the chemical characterization and microbiological potential of Piper mikanianum (Kunth) Steud essential oil (EOPm), providing data that allows the development of a low-cost mouthwash formulation aimed at vulnerable communities. METHODS: The evaluation of the antibacterial activity and modulator of bacterial resistance was performed by the microdilution method to determine the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC). The chemical components were characterized by gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry, identified 28 constituents, in which Safrole Phenylpropanoid is the major compound, representing 72.6 % of the total composition, followed by α-pinene (10.7 %), Limonene (2 %), ß-caryophyllene (2 %), E-nerolidol (1.9 %), spathulenol (1.3 %) and camphene (1.1 %). RESULTS: The EOPm showed a MIC minimum inhibitory concentration≥1024â µg/mL for all bacterial strains used in the tests. When the EOPm modulating activity combined with chlorhexidine, mouthwash, ampicillin, gentamicin and penicillin G was evaluated against bacterial resistance, the oil showed significant synergistic activity, reducing the MIC of the products tested in combination, in percentage between 20.6 % to 98 .4 %. CONCLUSIONS: We recommend the expansion of tests with greater variation of EOPm concentration combinations and the products used in this study, as well as toxicity evaluation and inâ vivo tests, seeking the development of a possible low-cost mouthwash formulation accessible to the most vulnerable population.
Subject(s)
Oils, Volatile , Piper , Humans , Oils, Volatile/pharmacology , Oils, Volatile/chemistry , Mouthwashes/pharmacology , Piper/chemistry , Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry , Anti-Bacterial Agents/pharmacology , Anti-Bacterial Agents/chemistry , Microbial Sensitivity TestsABSTRACT
The fixed oil from the inner mesocarp of Caryocar coriaceum Wittm. is used in the Chapada do Araripe region of Brazil for the treatment of genitourinary candidiasis. This study aimed to evaluate the chemical composition, antifungal activity, reduction of fungal virulence, and the preliminary toxicity of the fixed oil from the inner mesocarp of C. coriaceum tested against three Candida yeasts. The oil was characterized by gas chromatography (GC-MS and GC-FID). Antifungal activity was assessed using the serial microdilution method. Additionally, the potential of the oil as an enhancer of fluconazole action was tested at sub-inhibitory concentrations (MIC/8). The mechanism of action of C. coriaceum fixed oil was determined by evaluating the inhibition of morphological transition in Candida spp. The chemical composition of the fixed oil of C. coriaceum comprised both unsaturated and saturated fatty acids. Oleic (61 %) and palmitic (33 %) acids were the major constituents. Regarding its anti-Candida activity, the oil inhibited the growth of C. albicans (IC50 : 371â µg/mL) and C. tropicalis (IC50 : 830â µg/mL). Furthermore, the oil reversed the antifungal resistance of C. albicans and C. tropicalis, restoring the susceptibility to fluconazole and reducing their IC50 from 12.33â µg/mL and 362â µg/mL to 0.22â µg/mL and 13.93â µg/mL, respectively. The fixed oil of C. coriaceum completely inhibited the morphological transition of C. albicans and C. tropicalis at a concentration of 512â µg/mL, but exhibited limited low antifungal potential against C. krusei. The observed antifungal activity may be attributed to the overproduction of reactive oxygen species. Additionally, the oil showed no toxic effect on the Drosophila melanogaster inâ vivo model. The fixed oil from the inner mesocarp of C. coriaceum emerge as a strong candidate for the development of new pharmaceutical formulations to treat infections caused by Candida spp.
Subject(s)
Fluconazole , Malpighiales , Animals , Fluconazole/pharmacology , Candida , Antifungal Agents/pharmacology , Antifungal Agents/chemistry , Drosophila melanogaster , Plant Oils/pharmacology , Plant Oils/chemistry , Candida albicans , Microbial Sensitivity TestsABSTRACT
The Piper genus, known for its pharmacological potential, comprises 2,263 species primarily found in tropical regions. Despite recent advancements in pain therapies, the demand for more effective and well-tolerated analgesics and anti-inflammatories, particularly for chronic pain, remains. This study assessed the effects of essential oils from Piper caldense, Piper mosenii, and Piper mikanianum on nociceptive behavior induced by formalin and capsaicin, as well as their anti-inflammatory impact induced by carrageenan, using adult zebrafish models. Results indicated non-toxic essential oils with antinociceptive properties in both neurogenic and inflammatory phases of formalin-induced nociception through interaction with the TRPA1 receptor. Additionally, P. mosenii essential oil also blocked the nociceptive effect of capsaicin, a TRPV1 receptor agonist. Furthermore, essential oils from P. caldense and P. mikanianum exhibited significant anti-inflammatory effects by reducing carrageenan-induced abdominal edema. These findings highlight the pharmacological potential of Piper's essential oils as antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory agents.
Subject(s)
Oils, Volatile , Piper , Animals , Carrageenan/adverse effects , Zebrafish , Oils, Volatile/pharmacology , Oils, Volatile/therapeutic use , Capsaicin , Analgesics/pharmacology , Analgesics/therapeutic use , Anti-Inflammatory Agents/pharmacology , Anti-Inflammatory Agents/therapeutic use , Plant Extracts/pharmacology , Formaldehyde/adverse effects , Edema/chemically induced , Edema/drug therapyABSTRACT
We aimed to characterize and investigate the antibacterial potential of the native stingless bees geopropolis volatile oils (VO) for the search of potentially new bioactive compounds. Geopropolis samples from Melipona bicolor schencki, M.â compressipes manaosensis, M.â fasciculata, M.â quadrifasciata, M.â marginata and M.â seminigra merrillae were collected from hives in South Brazil. VO were obtained by hydrodistillation and characterised by gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC/MS). Antimicrobial activity was assessed by microplate dilution method. The lowest MIC against cell walled bacteria was 219±0â µg mL-1 from M.â quadrifasciata geopropolis VO with Staphylococcus aureus. The M.â b. schencki geopropolis VO minimal inhibition concentration (MIC) was 424±0â µg mL-1 against all the mycoplasma strains evaluated. Fractionation resulted in the reduction of 50 % of the MIC value from the original oil. However, its compounds' synergism seems to be essential to this activity. Antibiofilm assays demonstrated 15.25 % eradication activity and 13.20 % inhibition of biofilm formation after 24â h for one subfraction at 2× its MIC as the best results found. This may be one of the essential mechanisms by which geopropolis VOs perform their antimicrobial activity.