Evaluation of the bacteriostatic properties of essential oils and their potential applications for food microbiology

Genotoxicity of some essential oils frequently used in aromatherapy

Genotoxic properties of the essential oils extracted from Artemisia dracunculus (tarragon), Ocimum basilicum (basil), Cinnamomum loureirii (cinnamon), Laurus nobilis (laurel), Satureja montana (savory) and Rosmarinus officinallis (rosemary) are studied by Drosophila melanogaster Somatic Mutation and Recombination Test (SMART). The high bioactivation crossed with a high cytochrome P450-dependent bioactivation capacity is used. This assay is principally based on the loss of heterozygosity of the suitable recessive markers’ multiple wing hairs (mwh) and flare-3 (flr3) which can lead to the formation of mutant clones of larval cells, and which are then going to be expressed as spots on the wings of adult flies. Third-instar larvae are treated for 48 hr with different concentrations of the essential oils dissolved in Tween-80 at 0.2% or 2%. The wings of the emerging adults are analyzed for the occurrence of different types of mutant spots. No statistically significant differences in spot frequencies between negative controls and treated series are observed. These results suggest that the six essential oils at concentrations tested are not genotoxic towards somatic cells of D. melanogaster. Télécharger l'étude complète

Antibacterial and cytotoxic activities of ten commercially available essential oils

There is a hugef concern in the medical field concerning the emergence of bacterial resistance to antibiotics. Essential oils are a source of antibacterial compounds that can overcome this problem. Ten essential oils that are commercially available were investigated in the present study: ajowan, basil, German chamomile, Chinese cinnamon, coriander, clove, lemongrass, Spanish lavender, oregano and palmarosa. Their direct, synergistic and indirect antibacterial activities were evaluated against different human pathogenic Gram-positive and Gram-negative strains. To evaluate their possible use in clinics, the cytotoxicity of these essential oils was also tested on keratinocyte and epithelial cell lines. Except for the Chinese cinnamon, coriander and lemongrass, all other essential oils presented no cytotoxicity at 32 and 16 µg/mL. Télécharger l'étude complète