Flowering phenophases influence the antibacterial and anti-biofilm effects of Thymus vulgaris L. essential oil.

BACKGROUND: Essential oils are becoming increasingly popular in medicinal applications because of their antimicrobial effect. Thymus vulgaris L. (Lamiaceae) is a well-known and widely cultivated medicinal plant, which is used as a remedy for cold, cough and gastrointestinal symptoms. Essential oil content of thyme is responsible for its antimicrobial activity, however, it has been reported that the chemical composition of essential oils influences its biological activity. In order to explore flowering phenophases influence on the chemical composition of thyme essential oil and its antibacterial and anti-biofilm activity, plant materials were collected at the beginning of flowering, in full bloom and at the end of flowering periods in 2019. METHODS: Essential oils from fresh and dried plant materials were distilled and analyzed with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and gas chromatography-flame ionization detection (GC-FID). The antibacterial activity was performed by broth microdilution and thin layer chromatography-direct bioautography (TLC-DB) assays and the anti-biofilm effect by crystal violet assay, respectively. Scanning electron microscopy was applied to illustrate the cellular changes of bacterial cells after essential oil treatment. RESULTS: Thymol (52.33-62.46%) was the main component in the thyme essential oils. Thyme oil distilled from fresh plant material and collected at the beginning of flowering period exerted the highest antibacterial and anti-biofilm activity against Haemophilus influenzae, H. parainfluenzae and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. CONCLUSION: The different flowering periods of Thymus vulgaris influence the antibacterial and anti-biofilm activity of its essential oils, therefore, the collection time has to be taken into consideration and not only the full bloom, but the beginning of flowering period may provide biological active thyme essential oil.

Adsorption Properties of Essential Oils on Polylactic Acid Microparticles of Different Sizes.

The interaction between the polymer and the materials in contact with it affects its applicability. This can be particularly important in applications such as packaging or controlled drug delivery systems. Because of these interactions, the adsorption and diffusion properties of polylactic acid (PLA) are important. The absorption capacity of different polylactic acid particles for different additives like essential oils (Thymus vulgaris, Melissa officinalis, and Foeniculum vulgare essential oils) was investigated depending on the concentration of the essential oil. The PLA microparticles were prepared by the solvent evaporation emulsification method. The prepared particles had a degree of crystallinity of 0.1% and 16.1%, respectively, according to the granules used. This affects the particles' adsorption properties. The specific essential oil uptake of the more crystalline microparticles was on average 15% higher than that of the amorphous particles. The specific amount of essential oil adsorbed decreases with the decreasing concentration of essential oil in the solutions. We also investigated whether the amount of essential oil taken up was correlated with the solubility parameter of the essential oils. We concluded that the difference between the adsorption of the essential oils on the polymer was related to the essential oils' Hansen solubility parameter.

Combination of Analytical and Statistical Methods in Order to Optimize Antibacterial Activity of Clary Sage Supercritical Fluid Extracts.

The extraction of clary sage (Salvia sclarea L.) using supercritical carbon dioxide (SC-CO2) was systematically studied by using thin layer chromatography-direct bioautography (TLC-DB) and response surface methodology (RSM). The three parameters temperature, pressure, and cosolvent ratio were optimized for the maximum antibacterial activity of clary sage extracts against Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa) and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). The highest inhibition zone was 7.51 mm for P. aeruginosa and 7.57 mm for MRSA. According to RSM analysis, the predicted optimum extraction parameters are 18.6 MPa pressure, 40 °C temperature, and 2% ethanol (EtOH) ratio. The combination of this analytical and statistical method allows saving time, money, and instrument runtime in the optimization of essential oil composition, which is tailored to a specific task and could be useful on any kind of herbs in a wide range of use from perfume manufacturing to the food industry.

Analysis and Modeling of Boundary Layer Separation Method (BLSM).

Nowadays rules of environmental protection strictly regulate pollution material emission into environment. To keep the environmental protection laws recycling is one of the useful methods of waste material treatment. We have developed a new method for the treatment of industrial waste water and named it boundary layer separation method (BLSM). We apply the phenomena that ions can be enriched in the boundary layer of the electrically charged electrode surface compared to the bulk liquid phase. The main point of the method is that the boundary layer at correctly chosen movement velocity can be taken out of the waste water without being damaged, and the ion-enriched boundary layer can be recycled. Electrosorption is a surface phenomenon. It can be used with high efficiency in case of large electrochemically active surface of electrodes. During our research work two high surface area nickel electrodes have been prepared. The value of electrochemically active surface area of electrodes has been estimated. The existence of diffusion part of the double layer has been experimentally approved. The electrical double layer capacity has been determined. Ion transport by boundary layer separation has been introduced. Finally we have tried to estimate the relative significance of physical adsorption and electrosorption.

Boundary layer separation method for recycling of sodium ions from industrial wastewater.

The most effective technological solution for waste treatment is recycling. We have developed a new method for the treatment of industrial wastewaters and have called it the boundary layer separation method (BLSM). We have used the phenomenon that, on the surface of an electrically charged electrode, ions can be enriched in the boundary layer, as compared with the inside of the phase. The essence of the method is that, with an appropriately chosen velocity, the boundary layer can be removed from the wastewater, and the boundary layer, which is rich in ions, can be recycled. The BLSM can be executed as a cyclic procedure. The capacitance of the boundary layer was examined. The best mass transport can be achieved with the use of 1000 and 1200 mV polarization potentials in the examined system, with its value being 1200 mg/m2 per cycle. The necessary operation times were determined by the examination of the velocity of the electrochemical processes. When using 1000 mV polarization potential, the necessary adsorption time is at least 25 seconds, and the desorption time at least 300 seconds. The advantage of the procedure is that it does not use dangerous chemicals, only inert electrodes. The drawback is that it is not selective to ions, the achievable separation in one step is low, and the hydrogen that emerges during the electrolysis might be dangerous.