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Journal of Microbiology and... Mar 2017For centuries, plants have been used for a wide variety of purposes, from treating infectious diseases to food preservation and perfume production. Presently, the... (Review)
Review
For centuries, plants have been used for a wide variety of purposes, from treating infectious diseases to food preservation and perfume production. Presently, the increasing resistance of microorganisms to currently used antimicrobials in combination with the appearance of emerging diseases requires the urgent development of new, more effective drugs. Plants, due to the large biological and structural diversity of their components, constitute a unique and renewable source for the discovery of new antibacterial, antifungal, and antiparasitic compounds. In the present paper, the history, composition, and antimicrobial activities of the basil, oregano, and thyme essential oils are reviewed.
Topics: Anti-Infective Agents; Bacteria; Fungi; Microbial Sensitivity Tests; Ocimum; Ocimum basilicum; Oils, Volatile; Origanum; Plant Oils; Thymus Plant
PubMed: 27994215
DOI: 10.4014/jmb.1608.08024 -
Thoracic Surgery Clinics May 2019The thymus is a primary lymphoid organ essential for the development of T lymphocytes, which orchestrate adaptive immune responses. T-cell development in the thymus is... (Review)
Review
The thymus is a primary lymphoid organ essential for the development of T lymphocytes, which orchestrate adaptive immune responses. T-cell development in the thymus is spatially regulated; key checkpoints in T-cell maturation and selection occur in cortical and medullary regions to eliminate self-reactive T cells, establish central tolerance, and export naïve T cells to the periphery with the potential to recognize diverse pathogens. Thymic output is also temporally regulated due to age-related involution of the thymus accompanied by loss of epithelial cells. This review discusses the structural and age-related control of thymus function in humans.
Topics: Aging; Homeostasis; Humans; Immune System; T-Lymphocytes; Thymus Gland
PubMed: 30927993
DOI: 10.1016/j.thorsurg.2018.12.001 -
International Journal of Molecular... Jun 2017Infectious diseases caused by pathogens and food poisoning caused by spoilage microorganisms are threatening human health all over the world. The efficacies of some... (Review)
Review
Infectious diseases caused by pathogens and food poisoning caused by spoilage microorganisms are threatening human health all over the world. The efficacies of some antimicrobial agents, which are currently used to extend shelf-life and increase the safety of food products in food industry and to inhibit disease-causing microorganisms in medicine, have been weakened by microbial resistance. Therefore, new antimicrobial agents that could overcome this resistance need to be discovered. Many spices-such as clove, oregano, thyme, cinnamon, and cumin-possessed significant antibacterial and antifungal activities against food spoilage bacteria like Bacillus subtilis and , pathogens like Staphylococcus aureus and Vibrio parahaemolyticus, harmful fungi like Aspergillus flavus, even antibiotic resistant microorganisms such as methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus. Therefore, spices have a great potential to be developed as new and safe antimicrobial agents. This review summarizes scientific studies on the antibacterial and antifungal activities of several spices and their derivatives.
Topics: Animals; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Antifungal Agents; Bacteria; Bacterial Infections; Cinnamomum zeylanicum; Cuminum; Food Additives; Fungi; Humans; Mycoses; Ocimum basilicum; Origanum; Plant Extracts; Plants; Syzygium; Thymus Plant
PubMed: 28621716
DOI: 10.3390/ijms18061283 -
Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) Sep 2020Thymol (2-isopropyl-5-methylphenol) belongs to the phenolic monoterpenes and mostly occurs in thyme species. It is one of the main compounds of thyme essential oil. Both... (Review)
Review
Thymol (2-isopropyl-5-methylphenol) belongs to the phenolic monoterpenes and mostly occurs in thyme species. It is one of the main compounds of thyme essential oil. Both thymol and thyme essential oil have long been used in traditional medicine as expectorant, anti-inflammatory, antiviral, antibacterial, and antiseptic agents, mainly in the treatment of the upper respiratory system. The current search for new directions of biological or therapeutic activities of natural plant substances with known structures includes thyme essential oil and thymol. Novel studies have demonstrated their antibiofilm, antifungal, antileishmanial, antiviral, and anticancer properties. Also, their new therapeutic formulations, such as nanocapsules containing these constituents, can be beneficial in medicinal practice and create opportunities for their extensive use. Extensive application of thymol and thyme essential oil in the healthcare sector is very promising but requires further research and analysis.
Topics: Animals; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Antifungal Agents; Antiparasitic Agents; Antiviral Agents; Apoptosis; Biofilms; Cell Proliferation; Cryptococcus; Humans; Microbial Sensitivity Tests; Monoterpenes; Oils, Volatile; Phenols; Plant Extracts; Plant Oils; Polymers; Thymol; Thymus Plant
PubMed: 32917001
DOI: 10.3390/molecules25184125 -
Journal of Medicine and Life 2014The study was designed to determine the chemical composition and antimicrobial properties of the essential oil of Thymus vulgaris cultivated in Romania. The essential...
The study was designed to determine the chemical composition and antimicrobial properties of the essential oil of Thymus vulgaris cultivated in Romania. The essential oil was isolated in a yield of 1.25% by steam distillation from the aerial part of the plant and subsequently analyzed by GC-MS. The major components were p-cymene (8.41%), γ-terpinene (30.90%) and thymol (47.59%). Its antimicrobial activity was evaluated on 7 common food-related bacteria and fungus by using the disk diffusion method. The results demonstrate that the Thymus vulgaris essential oil tested possesses strong antimicrobial properties, and may in the future represent a new source of natural antiseptics with applications in the pharmaceutical and food industry.
Topics: Anti-Infective Agents; Cyclohexane Monoterpenes; Cymenes; Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; Monoterpenes; Oils, Volatile; Thymol; Thymus Plant
PubMed: 25870697
DOI: No ID Found -
Biomolecules Jul 2020Spice plants have a great influence on world history. For centuries, different civilizations have used them to condiment the foods of kings and nobles and applied them... (Review)
Review
Spice plants have a great influence on world history. For centuries, different civilizations have used them to condiment the foods of kings and nobles and applied them as embalming preservatives, perfumes, cosmetics, and medicines in different regions of the world. In general, these plants have formed the basis of traditional medicine and some of their derived substances have been utilized to treat different human diseases. Essential oils (EOs) obtained from these plants have been also used as therapeutic agents and have shown supportive uses in remedial practices. The discovery and development of bioactive compounds from these natural products, based on their traditional uses, play an important role in developing the scientific evidence of their potential pharmaceutical, cosmetic, and food applications. In the present review, using recent studies, we exhibit a general overview of the main aspects related to the importance of spice plants widely used in traditional medicine: (true cinnamon), (peppermint), (basil), (oregano), (black pepper), (rosemary), and (thyme); and we discuss new findings of the bioactive compounds obtained from their EOs, their potential applications, as well as their molecular mechanisms of action, focusing on their antioxidant activity. We also exhibit the main in vitro methods applied to determine the antioxidant activities of these natural products.
Topics: Antioxidants; Cosmetics; Food Industry; Medicine, Traditional; Mentha piperita; Ocimum; Oils, Volatile; Origanum; Phytochemicals; Plant Oils; Spices; Thymus Plant
PubMed: 32630297
DOI: 10.3390/biom10070988 -
Stem Cell Reviews and Reports Apr 2020Thymus regenerative therapy implementation is severely obstructed by the limited number and expansion capacity in vitro of tissue-specific thymic epithelial stem cells... (Review)
Review
Thymus regenerative therapy implementation is severely obstructed by the limited number and expansion capacity in vitro of tissue-specific thymic epithelial stem cells (TESC). Current solutions are mostly based on growth factors that can drive differentiation of pluripotent stem cells toward tissue-specific TESC. Target-specific small chemical compounds represent an alternative solution that could induce and support the clonal expansion of TESC and reversibly block their differentiation into mature cells. These compounds could be used both in the composition of culture media designed for TESC expansion in vitro, and in drugs development for thymic regeneration in vivo. It should allow reaching the ultimate objective - autologous thymic tissue regeneration in paediatric patients who had their thymus removed in the course of cardiac surgery.
Topics: Epithelial Cells; Humans; Models, Biological; Organ Specificity; Regeneration; Regenerative Medicine; Thymus Gland
PubMed: 31997162
DOI: 10.1007/s12015-020-09955-y -
Frontiers in Immunology 2020Thymus involution occurs in all vertebrates. It is thought to impact on immune responses in the aged, and in other clinical circumstances such as bone marrow... (Review)
Review
Thymus involution occurs in all vertebrates. It is thought to impact on immune responses in the aged, and in other clinical circumstances such as bone marrow transplantation. Determinants of thymus growth and size are beginning to be identified. Ectopic expression of factors like cyclin D1 and Myc in thymic epithelial cells (TEC)s results in considerable increase in thymus size. These models provide useful experimental tools that allow thymus function to be understood. In future, understanding TEC-specific controllers of growth will provide new approaches to thymus regeneration.
Topics: Aging; Animals; Cell Differentiation; Epithelial Cells; Humans; Mice; Stem Cells; Thymus Gland
PubMed: 32477366
DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2020.00897 -
Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) Mar 2019Urinary tract infections (UTIs), caused by 80% to 85% of the time, are one of the most important causes of morbidity and health care spending affecting persons of all...
Urinary tract infections (UTIs), caused by 80% to 85% of the time, are one of the most important causes of morbidity and health care spending affecting persons of all ages. These infections lead to many difficult problems, especially increasing resistance to antibiotic drugs. Bacterial biofilms play an important role in UTIs, responsible for persistent infections leading to recurrences and relapses. In this study, we have investigated the antibacterial activity of five medicinal plant essential oils against UTIs caused by using disc diffusion and minimal inhibition concentration (MIC) methods. In addition, biofilm inhibitory action of oils was realized by crystal violet. Gas chromatography⁻mass spectrometry (GC⁻MS) analysis showed a variability between oils in terms of compound numbers as well as their percentages. Antibacterial activity was observed only in cases of , and , while and did not showed any effect towards isolates. essential oil demonstrated the highest antibacterial activity against isolates, followed by and . Further, oils showed high biofilm inhibitory action with a percentage of inhibition that ranged from 14.94% to 94.75%. oil had the highest antibiofilm activity followed by and . Accordingly, tested oils showed very effective antibacterial and antibiofilm activities against UTIs and can be considered as good alternative for antibiotics substitution.
Topics: Anti-Bacterial Agents; Biofilms; Escherichia coli; Escherichia coli Infections; Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; Humans; Microbial Sensitivity Tests; Oils, Volatile; Origanum; Plant Extracts; Plants, Medicinal; Rosmarinus; Thymus Plant; Urinary Tract Infections
PubMed: 30909573
DOI: 10.3390/molecules24061161 -
Age (Dordrecht, Netherlands) Feb 2014Aging is a continuous process that induces many alterations in the cytoarchitecture of different organs and systems both in humans and animals. Moreover, it is... (Review)
Review
Aging is a continuous process that induces many alterations in the cytoarchitecture of different organs and systems both in humans and animals. Moreover, it is associated with increased susceptibility to infectious, autoimmune, and neoplastic processes. The thymus is a primary lymphoid organ responsible for the production of immunocompetent T cells and, with aging, it atrophies and declines in functions. Universality of thymic involution in all species possessing thymus, including human, indicates it as a long-standing evolutionary event. Although it is accepted that many factors contribute to age-associated thymic involution, little is known about the mechanisms involved in the process. The exact time point of the initiation is not well defined. To address the issue, we report the exact age of thymus throughout the review so that readers can have a nicely pictured synoptic view of the process. Focusing our attention on the different stages of the development of the thymus gland (natal, postnatal, adult, and old), we describe chronologically the morphological changes of the gland. We report that the thymic morphology and cell types are evolutionarily preserved in several vertebrate species. This finding is important in understanding the similar problems caused by senescence and other diseases. Another point that we considered very important is to indicate the assessment of the thymus through radiological images to highlight its variability in shape, size, and anatomical conformation.
Topics: Aging; Animals; Cellular Senescence; Humans; Models, Biological; Thymus Gland
PubMed: 23877171
DOI: 10.1007/s11357-013-9564-5