Antihelminic Activity of Carvacrol, Thymol, Cinnamaldehyde and P-Cymen Against the Free-Living Nematode Caenorhabditis elegans and Rat Pinworm Syphacia muris

Abstract

In the present study we tested the dose andh time dependence of the antinematodal effects of carvacrol and tyhmol on Caenorabditis elegans, and the efficacy of carvacrol, thymol, p-cymene and cinnamaldehyde,which were administrated in the drinking water of rats naturally infected with the pinworm Syphacia muris. The control treatment of the infected rats was carried out with piperazine. Thymol caused a dose and time-dependent mortality in adult C. elegans. The value of the Median Lethal Concentration (LC50) of thymol was 117.9nM after 24h and 62.89 nM after 48h of exposure. Carvacrol exhibited a higher antinematodal efficiency than thymol. The LC50 of carvacrol, after 24 hours of exposure, was 53.03 nM, while after 48 hours it was 33.83 nM. On the other hand, piperazine showed an extremely high efficacy against S. muris infection in rats. Piperazine, at a dose of 625 mg/kg bw, administered in drinking water continuously for 10 days, eliminates the infection completely. However, none of the investigated active ingredients of essential oils were effective against S. muris. The reason for the lack of efficiency may be due to their pharmacokinetic properties. A relatively low amount of, orally administered, active ingredients of essential oils reaches the distal segments of the gastrointestinal tract, where S. muris inhabits the gut (colon and cecum). The obtained results, on C. elegans, indicate a clear dose and time-dependent antinematodal effect of thymol and carvacrol. However, for clinical application, it is necessary to examine the efficacy of microencapsulated formulations with a controlled release of active ingredients of essential oils in certain parts of the gastrointestinal tract.

Application of Supercritical Solvent Impregnation for Production of Zeolite Modified Starch-Chitosan Polymers with Antibacterial Properties

“…The WVP of the SC film obtained in this study (1.78 × 10 −11 gm −1 s −1 Pa −1 ) was in the range of the published result by Acter et al (2.84 × 10 −11 gm −1 s −1 Pa −1 ) [ 58 ]. It was previously reported that the inclusion of hydrophobic components to biopolymer films resulted in a decreased WVP due to the increased hydrophobicity of the composites [ 6 ]. This was in agreement with the results obtained in this study since the addition of thymol slightly decreased the permeability of impregnated films compared to the controls.…”

“…For the same reasons, instead of synthetic chemicals, mostly molecules of natural origin are preferred to deliver the activity to the food packaging material. Thymol is a colorless, crystalline substance, found in essential oils of thyme, oregano and winter savory with proven antimicrobial effects against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, and also against some parasites [ 5 , 6 ]. Since it has been “generally recognized as safe” (GRAS) by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), thymol was found to be a promising bioactive agent for active packaging purposes [ 2 ].…”

Thymus Citriodorus (Schreb) Botanical Products as Ecofriendly Nematicides with Bio-Fertilizing Properties

“…Of course, many other botanicals have been studied for the nematicidal properties of their yielding EOs [17][18][19], while nanotechnology has made progress in the introduction of EOs into open field conditions [20][21][22]. However, there are few studies on the ecotoxicological effects of biopesticides accompanying biological activity, and so, notwithstanding their natural origin, they may as well have unknown effects on the environment and non-target organisms [23][24][25].…”

Action of Carvacrol on Parascaris sp. and Antagonistic Effect on Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors

“…Carvacrol is known for its wide use in traditional pharmacopeia due to antimicrobial and disinfectant properties [15][16][17]. In addition, some studies previously indicated that carvacrol has antinematodal properties against pathogenic helminths such as the pig roundworm Ascaris suum [18], the sheep parasite Haemonchus contortus [19,20], the fish parasite Anisakis simplex [14,21] and plant parasitic nematodes [22], and it can also kill the free-living model nematode Caenorhabditis elegans [23][24][25]. However, the antiparasitic mode of action of monoterpenoid compounds is poorly understood, and their potential use against horse parasites has not yet been investigated.…”