Natural Sources of Therapeutic Agents Used in Skin Conditions.

Skin conditions are numerous and often have a major impact on patients' quality of life, and effective and safe treatment is very important. The conventional drugs used for skin diseases are usually corticosteroids and antimicrobial products that can induce various side effects, especially with long-term use, which is why researchers are studying alternatives, especially biologically active natural products. Three products caught our attention: bee venom (BV), due to reported experimental results showing anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antiviral, antioxidant, antimycotic, and anticancer effects, Ficus carica (FC) due to its demonstrated antioxidant, antibacterial, and anti-inflammatory action, and finally Geranium essential oil (GEO), with proven antifungal, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant effects. Following a review of the literature, we produced this paper, which presents a review of the potential therapeutic applications of the three products in combating various skin conditions and for skin care, because BV, FC, and GEO have common pharmacological actions (anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and antioxidant). We also focused on studying the safety of the topical use of BV, FC, and GEO, and new approaches to this. This paper presents the use of these natural therapeutic agents to treat patients with conditions such as vitiligo, melasma, and melanoma, as well as their use in treating dermatological conditions in patients with diabetes.

In Vitro Antifungal Activity of Selected Essential Oils against Drug-Resistant Clinical Aspergillus spp. Strains.

BACKGROUND: Treatment options for aspergillosis include amphotericin B (AMB) and azole compounds, such as itraconazole (ITZ). However, serious side effects related to these antifungal agents are increasingly evident, and resistance continues to increase. Currently, a new trend in drug discovery to overcome this problem is represented by natural products from plants, or their extracts. Particularly, there is a great interest in essential oils (EOs) recognized for their antimicrobial role towards bacteria, fungi and viruses. METHODS: In this study, we evaluated the antifungal activity of eleven commercial EOs-clove, eucalyptus, geranium, hybrid lavender, lavender, lemon, lemongrass, neroli, oregano, tea tree and red red thyme-in comparison with AMB and ITZ against Aspergillus flavus, A. fumigatus and A. niger clinical isolates. Antifungal activity was determined by broth microdilution method, agar diffusion technique, fungistatic and fungicidal activities and vapor contact assay. RESULTS: Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis displayed two groups of distinct biosynthetical origin: monoterpenes dominated the chemical composition of the most oils. Only two aromatic compounds (eugenol 78.91% and eugenyl acetate 11.64%) have been identified as major components in clove EO. Lemongrass EO exhibits the strongest antimicrobial activity with a minimum inhibitory concentration of 0.56 mg/mL and a minimum fungicidal concentration of 2.25-4.5 mg/mL against Aspergillus spp. strains. Clove and geranium EOs were fairly effective in inhibiting Aspergillus spp. growth. CONCLUSIONS: These results demonstrate the antimicrobial potential of some EOs and support the research of new alternatives or complementary therapies based on EOs.

Assessing Alternative Pre-Treatment Methods to Promote Essential Oil Fixation into Cotton and Polyethylene Terephthalate Fiber: A Comparative Study.

This study aims to develop a new refreshing feeling, ecological, and antimicrobial fabrics for medicinal applications. The geranium essential oils (GEO) are incorporated into polyester and cotton fabrics by different methods, such as ultrasound, diffusion, and padding. The effect of solvent, nature of fibers, and treatment processes were evaluated via the thermal properties, the color strength, the odor intensity, the wash fastness, and the antibacterial activities of the fabrics. It was found that the ultrasound method was the most efficient process for incorporation of GEO. Ultrasound produced a great effect on the color strength of the treated fabrics, suggesting the absorption of geranium oil in fiber surface. The color strength (K/S) increased from 0.22 for the original fabric to 0.91 for the modified counterpart. In addition, the treated fibers showed appreciable antibacterial capacity against Gram-positive (Staphylococcus epidermidis) and Gram-negative (Escherichia coli) bacteria strains. Moreover, the ultrasound process can effectively guarantee the stability of geranium oil in fabrics without decreasing the significant odor intensity and antibacterial character. Based on the interesting properties like ecofriendliness, reusability, antibacterial, and a refreshing feeling, it was suggested that textile impregnated with geranium essential oil might be used as a potential material in cosmetic applications.

Inhalation of Pelargonium graveolens Essential Oil Alleviates Pain and Related Anxiety and Stress in Patients with Lumbar Spinal Stenosis and Moderate to Severe Pain.

Pain in lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS) patients is closely associated with psychological factors, including anxiety, stress, and depression, and is a critical determinant of patient daily functionality and overall quality of life. The present study evaluated the effects of inhalation of Pelargonium graveolens (geranium) essential oil (GEO) on pain and related psychological factors in LSS patients. Fifty-nine patients, categorized as having mild or moderate to severe pain based on pain visual analog scale (VAS) scores, were randomly assigned to inhalation of 1% GEO or placebo control (PC). No significant differences between GEO and PC were observed in patients with mild pain, whereas differences in anxiety-VAS and stress-VAS scores were observed in patients with moderate to severe pain. Anxiety-VAS and stress-VAS scores decreased significantly after GEO but not after PC inhalation. Regardless of the severity of pain, post-intervention pain-VAS scores were significantly lower in the GEO group than in the PC group. In summary, GEO reduced pain and improved anxiety and stress, particularly among patients with moderate to severe pain. These findings suggest that GEO inhalation may have potential as an adjunct therapy for improving pain management and alleviating anxiety and stress in LSS patients with insufficient responses to pharmacological pain control.

An In-Depth Study on the Chemical Composition and Biological Effects of Pelargonium graveolens Essential Oil.

The essential oil of Pelargonium graveolens (PGEO) is identified in the literature as a rich source of bioactive compounds with a high level of biological activity. This study aimed to examine the chemical profile of PGEO as well as its antioxidant, antibacterial, antibiofilm, and insecticidal properties. Its chemical composition was analyzed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), achieving comprehensive identification of 99.2% of volatile compounds. The predominant identified compounds were ß-citronellol (29.7%) and geraniol (14.6%). PGEO's antioxidant potential was determined by means of DPPH radical and ABTS radical cation neutralization. The results indicate a higher capacity of PGEO to neutralize the ABTS radical cation, with an IC50 value of 0.26 ± 0.02 mg/mL. Two techniques were used to assess antimicrobial activity: minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and disk diffusion. Antimicrobial evaluation using the disk diffusion method revealed that Salmonella enterica (14.33 ± 0.58 mm), which forms biofilms, and Priestia megaterium (14.67 ± 0.58 mm) were most susceptible to exposure to PGEO. The MIC assay demonstrated the highest performance of this EO against biofilm-forming S. enterica (MIC 50 0.57 ± 0.006; MIC 90 0.169 ± 0.08 mg/mL). In contrast to contact application, the assessment of the in situ vapor phase antibacterial activity of PGEO revealed significantly more potent effects. An analysis of antibiofilm activity using MALDI-TOF MS demonstrated PGEO's capacity to disrupt the biofilm homeostasis of S. enterica growing on plastic and stainless steel. Additionally, insecticidal evaluations indicated that treatment with PGEO at doses of 100% and 50% resulted in the complete mortality of all Harmonia axyridis individuals.

Quantification of the Geranium Essential Oil, Palmarosa Essential Oil and Phenylethyl Alcohol in Rosa damascena Essential Oil Using ATR-FTIR Spectroscopy Combined with Chemometrics.

Rosa damascena essential oil is an essential oil that has the greatest industrial importance due to its unique quality properties. The study used ATR-FTIR (attenuated total reflectance-Fourier transform infrared) spectroscopy coupled with chemometrics of PLSR (partial least squares regression) and PCR (principal component regression) for quantification of probable adulterants of geranium essential oil (GEO), palmarosa essential oil (PEO) and phenyl ethyl alcohol (PEOH). Hierarchical cluster analysis was performed to observe the classification pattern of Rosa damascena essential oil, spiked samples and adulterants. Rosa damascena essential oil was spiked with each adulterant at concentrations of 0-100% (v/v). Excellent R2 (regression coefficient) values (≥0.96) were obtained in all PLSR and PCR cross-validation models. The SECV (standard error of cross-validation) values ranged between 0.43 and 4.15. The lowest SECV and bias values were observed in the PLSR and PCR models, which were built by using the raw FTIR spectra of all samples. Hierarchical cluster analysis through Ward's algorithm and Euclidian distance had high potential to observe the classification pattern of all adulterated and authentic samples. In conclusion, the combination of ATR-FTIR spectroscopy with multivariate analysis can be used for rapid, cost-effective, easy, reliable and high-throughput detection of GEO, PEO and PEOH in Rosa damascena essential oil.

Anti-acetylcholinesterase and toxicity against Artemia salina of chitosan microparticles loaded with essential oils of Cymbopogon flexuosus, Pelargonium x ssp and Copaifera officinalis.

Essential oils (EOs) are bioactive compounds with therapeutic potential for use as alternatives or as support to conventional treatments. However, EOs present limitations, such as sensibility to environmental factors, which can be overcome through microencapsulation. The objective of this study was to produce, by spray drying, chitosan microparticles (CMs) loaded with EO of Lemongrass (Cymbopogon flexuosus), Geranium (Pelargonium x ssp) and Copaiba (Copaifera officinalis). Physicochemical and biological characterization of these microparticles showed that CMs presented spherical morphology, had an average size range of 2-3 µm with positive zeta potential (ZP) values, and enhanced thermal stability, compared to free EO. The encapsulation efficiency (EE) ranged from 4.8-58.6%, depending on the oil's properties. In vitro EO release from CMs was determined at different pHs, with 94% release observed in acid media. All microparticles were non-hemolytic at concentrations of up to 0.1 mg·mL-1. EOs and CMs presented acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibition activity (IC 50 ranged from 11.92 to 28.18 µg·mL-1). Geranium and Copaiba EOs presented higher toxicity against Artemia salina, and greater inhibition of acetylcholinesterase, indicating potential bioactivity for Alzheimer's disease (AD). Our findings demonstrate that CM systems may show promise for the controlled release of these EOs.

Geranium and Lemon Essential Oils and Their Active Compounds Downregulate Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme 2 (ACE2), a SARS-CoV-2 Spike Receptor-Binding Domain, in Epithelial Cells.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), also known as coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19), is a pandemic disease that has been declared as modern history's gravest health emergency worldwide. Until now, no precise treatment modality has been developed. The angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptor, a host cell receptor, has been found to play a crucial role in virus cell entry; therefore, ACE2 blockers can be a potential target for anti-viral intervention. In this study, we evaluated the ACE2 inhibitory effects of 10 essential oils. Among them, geranium and lemon oils displayed significant ACE2 inhibitory effects in epithelial cells. In addition, immunoblotting and qPCR analysis also confirmed that geranium and lemon oils possess potent ACE2 inhibitory effects. Furthermore, the gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis displayed 22 compounds in geranium oil and 9 compounds in lemon oil. Citronellol, geraniol, and neryl acetate were the major compounds of geranium oil and limonene that represented major compound of lemon oil. Next, we found that treatment with citronellol and limonene significantly downregulated ACE2 expression in epithelial cells. The results suggest that geranium and lemon essential oils and their derivative compounds are valuable natural anti-viral agents that may contribute to the prevention of the invasion of SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19 into the human body.

The Sensitivity of Endodontic Enterococcus spp. Strains to Geranium Essential Oil.

Enterococci are able to survive endodontic procedures and contribute to the failure of endodontic therapy. Thus, it is essential to identify novel ways of eradicating them from infected root canals. One such approach may be the use of antimicrobials such as plant essential oils. Enterococcal strains were isolated from endodontically treated teeth by standard microbiological methods. Susceptibility to antibiotics was evaluated by the disc-diffusion method. The minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) of geranium essential oil was investigated by microdilution in 96-well microplates in Mueller Hinton Broth II. Biofilm eradication concentrations were checked in dentin tests. Geranium essential oil inhibited enterococcal strains at concentrations ranging from 1.8-4.5 mg/mL. No correlation was shown between resistance to antibiotics and the MICs of the test antimicrobials. The MICs of the test oil were lower than those found to show cytotoxic effects on the HMEC-1 cell line. Geranium essential oil eradicated enterococcal biofilm at concentrations of 150 mg/mL. Geranium essential oil inhibits the growth of endodontic enterococcal species at lower concentrations than those required to reach IC50 against the HMEC-1 cell line, and is effective against bacteria protected in biofilm at higher concentrations. In addition, bacteria do not develop resistance to essential oils. Hence, geranium essential oil represents a possible alternative to other antimicrobials during endodontic procedures.