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Journal of Food Protection Jan 2020Synthetic food additives generate a negative perception in consumers. This fact generates an important pressure on food manufacturers, searching for safer natural... (Review)
Review
Synthetic food additives generate a negative perception in consumers. This fact generates an important pressure on food manufacturers, searching for safer natural alternatives. Phytochemicals (such as polyphenols and thiols) and plant essential oils (terpenoids) possess antimicrobial activities that are able to prevent food spoilage due to fungi (e.g., ) and intoxications (due to mycotoxins), both of which are important economic and health problems worldwide. This review summarizes industrially interesting antifungal bioactivities from the three main types of plant nutraceuticals: terpenoids (as thymol), polyphenols (as resveratrol) and thiols (as allicin) as well as some of the mechanisms of action. These phytochemicals are widely distributed in fruits and vegetables and are very useful in food preservation as they inhibit growth of important spoilage and pathogenic fungi, affecting especially mycelial growth and germination. Terpenoids and essential oils are the most abundant group of secondary metabolites found in plant extracts, especially in common aromatic plants, but polyphenols are a more remarkable group of bioactive compounds as they show a broad array of bioactivities.
Topics: Food Contamination; Food Microbiology; Food Preservation; Fungi; Mycotoxins; Oils, Volatile; Phytochemicals; Terpenes
PubMed: 31860394
DOI: 10.4315/0362-028X.JFP-19-163 -
Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy =... Nov 2022Both thymoquinone (TQ) and thymol (T) have been proved to possess a positive impact on human health. In this research, we aimed to investigate the effect of these...
The protective effect of thymoquinone or/and thymol against monosodium glutamate-induced attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)-like behavior in rats: Modulation of Nrf2/HO-1, TLR4/NF-κB/NLRP3/caspase-1 and Wnt/β-Catenin signaling pathways in rat model.
Both thymoquinone (TQ) and thymol (T) have been proved to possess a positive impact on human health. In this research, we aimed to investigate the effect of these compounds separately and together on the Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)-like behavior induced by monosodium glutamate (MSG) in rats. Forty male, Spargue Dawley rat pups (postnatal day 21), were randomly allocated into five groups: Normal saline (NS), MSG, MSG+TQ, MSG+T, and MSG+TQ+T. MSG (0.4 mg/kg/day), TQ (10 mg/kg/day) and T (30 mg/kg/day) were orally administered for 8 weeks. The behavioral tests proved that rats treated with TQ and/or T showed improved locomotor, attention and cognitive functions compared to the MSG group with more pronounced effect displayed with their combination. All treated groups showed improvement in MSG-induced aberrations in brain levels of GSH, IL-1β, TNF-α, GFAP, glutamate, calcium, dopamine, norepinephrine, Wnt3a, β-Catenin and BDNF. TQ and/or T treatment also enhanced the mRNA expression of Nrf2, HO-1 and Bcl2 while reducing the protein expression of TLR4, NFκB, NLRP3, caspase 1, Bax, AIF and GSK3β as compared to the MSG group. However, the combined therapy showed more significant effects in all measured parameters. All of these findings were further confirmed by the histopathological examinations. Current results concluded that the combined therapy of TQ and T had higher protective effects than their individual supplementations against MSG-induced ADHD-like behavior in rats.
Topics: Animals; Male; Rats; Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity; bcl-2-Associated X Protein; beta Catenin; Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor; Calcium; Caspase 1; Dopamine; Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3 beta; NF-E2-Related Factor 2; NF-kappa B; NLR Family, Pyrin Domain-Containing 3 Protein; Norepinephrine; RNA, Messenger; Saline Solution; Sodium Glutamate; Thymol; Toll-Like Receptor 4; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; Wnt Signaling Pathway
PubMed: 36271575
DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2022.113799 -
Journal of Parasitic Diseases :... Mar 2023Phytochemical compounds, plumbagin and thymol were evaluated for their efficacy against using MTT cell viability assay. Plumbagin and thymol were found to be effective...
UNLABELLED
Phytochemical compounds, plumbagin and thymol were evaluated for their efficacy against using MTT cell viability assay. Plumbagin and thymol were found to be effective in preventing the proliferation of infected bovine lymphocytes. The IC values of plumbagin and thymol were 0.019 µM and 0.009 µM, respectively. Plumbagin and thymol were found to be non-cytotoxic to the bovine peripheral blood mononuclear cells. However, both the compounds were found to have inhibitory effect on vero cell proliferation. Plumbagin had primarily anti-theilerial activity but thymol had primarily anti-mitotic activity. The in vitro efficacy and cell toxicity studies indicate the potential application of plumbagin, purified from as a lead therapeutic molecule against infection in cattle.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION
The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12639-022-01550-x.
PubMed: 36910313
DOI: 10.1007/s12639-022-01550-x -
Renal Failure Dec 2023Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a syndrome characterized by an accelerating decrease in renal function in a short time. Thymol is one of the main components of thyme...
Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a syndrome characterized by an accelerating decrease in renal function in a short time. Thymol is one of the main components of thyme species and has a variety of pharmacological effects. Here, we investigated whether thymol could ameliorate rhabdomyolysis (RM)-induced AKI and its related mechanism. Glycerol was used to induce RM-associated AKI in rats. Rats received thymol (20 mg/kg/day or 40 mg/kg/day) gavage 24 h before glycerol injection until 72 h after injection daily. Kidney injury was identified by measuring serum creatinine (Scr) and urea levels and by H&E and PAS staining and immunohistochemistry (the expression of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA)). Renal superoxide dismutase (SOD), malondialdehyde (MDA), and oxidative stress-related Nrf2/HO-1 signaling pathways were measured. The expression of the inflammatory markers TNF-α, IL-6, MCP-1, and NF-κB was assessed by ELISA and western blotting. Finally, the expression of the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway was detected by western blotting. Glycerol administration induced obvious renal histologic damage and increased Scr, urea, and PCNA expression. Notably, thymol treatment attenuated these structural and functional changes and prevented renal oxidative stress, inflammatory damage and PI3K/Akt pathway downregulation associated with glycerol-induced AKI. In conclusion, thymol might have potential applications in the amelioration of AKI via its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects and upregulation of the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway.
Topics: Rats; Animals; Glycerol; Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen; Thymol; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt; Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases; Acute Kidney Injury; Oxidative Stress; Kidney; Rhabdomyolysis; Urea
PubMed: 37417222
DOI: 10.1080/0886022X.2023.2227728 -
Animals : An Open Access Journal From... Nov 2022Plant-derived bioactive compounds with promising nutritional and therapeutic attributes (phytogenics) are among the top priorities in the aquaculture sector. Therefore,...
Plant-derived bioactive compounds with promising nutritional and therapeutic attributes (phytogenics) are among the top priorities in the aquaculture sector. Therefore, the impact of thymol (Thy) and/or thymoquinone (ThQ) on the growth, immune response antioxidant capacity, and () resistance of Nile tilapia was investigated. Four fish groups were fed a control diet and three basal diets supplemented with 200 mg/kg diet of Thy or ThQ and a blend of both Thy and ThQ at a level of 200 mg/kg diet each. At the end of the feeding trial (12 weeks), the tilapias were challenged intraperitoneally with virulent (2.5 × 10 CFU/mL) harboring aerolysin () and hemolysin () genes. The results revealed that tilapias fed diets fortified with a combination of Thy and ThQ displayed significantly enhanced growth rate and feed conversion ratio. Notably, the expression of the genes encoding digestive enzymes (pepsinogen, chymotrypsinogen, α-amylase and lipase) and muscle and intestinal antioxidant enzymes (glutathione peroxidase, catalase and superoxide dismutase) was significantly upregulated in Thy/ThQ-fed fish. An excessive inflammatory response was subsided more prominently in the group administrated Thy/ThQ as supported by the downregulation of , and genes and in contrast, the upregulation of the anti-inflammatory gene. Remarkably, dietary inclusion of Thy/ThQ augmented the expression of autophagy-related genes, whilst it downregulated that of gene improving the autophagy process. Furthermore, Thy/ThQ protective effect against was evidenced via downregulating the expression of its and virulence genes with higher fish survival rates. Overall, the current study encouraged the inclusion of Thy/ThQ in fish diets to boost their growth rates, promote digestive and antioxidant genes expression, improve their immune responses and provide defense against infections with great economic benefits.
PubMed: 36359158
DOI: 10.3390/ani12213034 -
Frontiers in Microbiology 2022Natural antimicrobials (NAM) are promising candidates for the successful control of poultry-borne bacteria, carrying potent antimicrobial activity (AMA) against a wide...
Natural antimicrobials (NAM) are promising candidates for the successful control of poultry-borne bacteria, carrying potent antimicrobial activity (AMA) against a wide range of multidrug-resistant pathogens. Individual activities of carvacrol, eugenol, trans-cinnamaldehyde, oregano, and thymol, along with the combined activity of paired compounds, were examined using broth microdilution and checkerboard techniques. The characteristic interactions between the compounds were calculated using an improved method, based on combination index (CI) values. The bacteria examined herein were selected due to their known genetic resistance to at least one antibiotic. Our results indicated that thymol was most effective, exhibiting the lowest minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) value against , , and , establishing the order of antimicrobial efficacy as: thymol > oregano > carvacrol > trans-cinnamaldehyde > eugenol. In the interaction study, the paired combination of carvacrol and thymol showed synergistic effects and was highly effective in reducing the antibiotic resistance of all the evaluated pathogens. Notably, all CI values were <1.0 in evaluations of , indicating the absence of antagonism between eugenol and thymol (or oregano). In , majority of CI values, which had a few concentration points, were smaller than 1.0, indicating a synergistic effect between eugenol and carvacrol (oregano or thymol), and trans-cinnamaldehyde and carvacrol. In , apart from some concentration points, some CI values were smaller than 1.0, demonstrating a synergistic effect between eugenol and carvacrol, and thymol and carvacrol (eugenol or oregano). It is therefore of great significance to investigate and illuminate the minimal effect concentration of these five components when they are used in combination as feed additives. Moreover, the improved evaluation method of this study provides a precise and extensive means to assess the synergistic effects of NAM.
PubMed: 35602084
DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.811784 -
Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience 2022The drug delivery system is valuable in the treatment of the disease. A nanopolymer as a thymol and release system was synthesized and its effects on morphine...
The drug delivery system is valuable in the treatment of the disease. A nanopolymer as a thymol and release system was synthesized and its effects on morphine withdrawal syndrome in comparison with clonidine in rats were studied. The nanopolymer was characterized by different methods, namely, IR, HNMR, CNMR, GPC, DLS, and AFM. Thymol in extract was assessed. The loading and release rate of thymol and extract on the nanopolymer were evaluated by HPLC. The median lethal dose (LD) of the extract, thymol, extract nanopolymer, and thymol nanopolymer was studied. The frequency of jumping, rearing, and teeth chattering in naloxone-induced morphine withdrawal syndrome was studied. Synthesized nanopolymer was desirable as a carrier for the drug. The loaded amount of extract and thymol on nanopolymer was estimated 55 ± 3.2% and 48 ± 2.6% and the drug released was 71 and 68%, respectively. LD of the extract, thymol, extract nanopolymer, and thymol nanopolymer was 975, 580, 1,250, and 650 mg/kg, respectively. This study showed that thymol nanopolymer was more effective than clonidine to reduce the frequency of morphine withdrawal symptoms. Our results suggest that extract, thymol, extract nanopolymer, and thymol nanopolymer are mighty in reducing the narcotic withdrawal signs. The mechanism of action and therapeutic potential is maybe similar to clonidine.
PubMed: 35846786
DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2022.843951 -
Toxins Feb 2022is a harmful pathogen causing head blight in cereals such as wheat and barley, and thymol has been proven to inhibit the growth of many pathogens. This study aims to...
is a harmful pathogen causing head blight in cereals such as wheat and barley, and thymol has been proven to inhibit the growth of many pathogens. This study aims to explore the fungistatic effect of thymol on and its mechanism. Different concentrations of thymol were used to treat . The results showed that the EC concentration of thymol against was 40 μg/mL. Compared with the control group, 40 μg/mL of thymol reduced the production of Deoxynivalenol (DON) and 3-Ac-DON by 70.1% and 78.2%, respectively. Our results indicate that thymol can effectively inhibit the growth and toxin production of and cause an extensive transcriptome response. Transcriptome identified 16,727 non-redundant unigenes and 1653 unigenes that COG did not annotate. The correlation coefficients between samples were all >0.941. When FC was 2.0 times, a total of 3230 differential unigenes were identified, of which 1223 were up-regulated, and 2007 were down-regulated. Through the transcriptome, we confirmed that the expression of many genes involved in growth and synthesis of DON and other secondary metabolites were also changed. The gluconeogenesis/glycolysis pathway may be a potential and important way for thymol to affect the growth of hyphae and the production of DON simultaneously.
Topics: Antifungal Agents; Fusarium; Mycelium; Mycotoxins; Thymol; Transcriptome
PubMed: 35202169
DOI: 10.3390/toxins14020142 -
Frontiers in Cellular and Infection... 2021The incidence of fungal infections has significantly increased in recent years due to the emergence of antifungal resistance. Biofilm formation is considered to be a...
The incidence of fungal infections has significantly increased in recent years due to the emergence of antifungal resistance. Biofilm formation is considered to be a major contributor to both the infectious diseases and to antimicrobial resistance. Consequently, biofilm-associated infections are often problematic to treat with existing therapeutics. Adhesion of to the host surface or implanted materials followed by hyphal invasion and biofilm formation enhances pathogenicity and virulence. Thus, developing a therapeutic agent that inhibits candidal adherence, biofilm development and morphological switching could improve clinical management of infections. The present investigation studied two emerging and alternatives strategies, namely antibiofilm and combinatorial approach, to attenuate biofilm formation and the expression of virulence factors. Piperine and thymol are major bioactive components of pepper and thyme, respectively. These phytochemicals are known to possess numerous biological activities, including recently reported antibiofilm effects against . The minimum biofilm inhibitory concentration (MBIC) of both phytochemicals was determined to be 32 µg/ml. The phytochemical treatment of biofilms using piperine and thymol revealed synergistic effects at four different combinations of concentrations, i.e. 8 and 8, 8 and 4, 8 and 2 and 4 and 8 µg/ml. These synergistic combinations resulted in the significant reduction in adherence of , hyphal extension and morphological transformation. Moreover, limited exposure of synergistic combinations controlled the hyphal elongation. Results were validated through the gene expression analysis. Results from the present investigation suggest that piperine and thymol can be synergistically employed for the treatment of biofilm-associated infection.
Topics: Alkaloids; Antifungal Agents; Benzodioxoles; Biofilms; Candida albicans; Hyphae; Morphogenesis; Piperidines; Polyunsaturated Alkamides; Thymol
PubMed: 35127553
DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2021.780545 -
Scientific Reports Apr 2021The present study involved in vivo evaluation of the growth promoting effects of thymol and thymol nanoemulsion and their protection against Salmonella Typhimurium...
The present study involved in vivo evaluation of the growth promoting effects of thymol and thymol nanoemulsion and their protection against Salmonella Typhimurium infection in broilers. One-day old 2400 chicks were randomly divided into eight groups; negative and positive control groups fed basal diet without additives and thymol and thymol nanoemulsion groups (0.25, 0.5 and 1% each). At d 23, all chicks except negative control were challenged with S. Typhimurium. Over the total growing period, birds fed 1% thymol nanoemulsion showed better growth performance even after S. Typhimurium challenge, which came parallel with upregulation of digestive enzyme genes (AMY2A, PNLIP and CCK). Additionally, higher levels of thymol nanoemulsion upregulated the expression of MUC-2, FABP2, IL-10, IgA and tight junction proteins genes and downregulated IL-2 and IL-6 genes expression. Moreover, 1% thymol nanoemulsion, and to lesser extent 0.5% thymol nanoemulsion and 1% thymol, corrected the histological alterations of cecum and liver postinfection. Finally, supplementation of 1% thymol, 0.5 and 1% thymol nanoemulsion led to increased Lactobacilli counts and decreased S. Typhimurium populations and downregulated invA gene expression postinfection. This first report of supplying thymol nanoemulsion in broiler diets proved that 1% nano-thymol is a potential growth promoting and antibacterial agent.
Topics: Animal Feed; Animals; Cecum; Chickens; Emulsions; Gastrointestinal Tract; Intestinal Mucosa; Nanotechnology; Salmonella typhimurium; Thymol; Virulence Factors
PubMed: 33833292
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-86990-w