Antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory potential therapy for opportunistic microorganisms

Abstract

Introduction: Methanolic extracts of six plants (Arbutus andrachne, Chrysanthemum coronarium, Inula viscosa, Origanum syriacum, Punica granatum, and Rosmarinus officinalis) used in traditional medicine for the treatment of bacterial and fungal infections were evaluated. The present study was conducted to evaluate the antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory activity of some medicinal plants in lowering the risk of opportunistic infections of the oral cavity caused by Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Candida albicans. Extracts were evaluated separately and in a mixture. Methodology: The methanolic plant extracts were tested against three opportunistic microorganisms by determining the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC). They were also evaluated for their ability to suppress the release of the pro-inflammatory cytokine IL-6 while not suppressing the release of the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10 from peripheral blood mononuclear cells using ELISA. Results: All extracts showed both antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory activities. However, O. syriacum exhibited the highest antimicrobial activity for the three microorganisms among all of the tested extracts (MIC S. aureus: 1 mg/mL; P. aeruginosa: 2 mg/mL; and C. albicans: 1 mg/mL). The extracts inhibited the expression of the pro-inflammatory cytokine IL-6 with apparent dose-dependent responses while they attenuated the secretion of the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10. The mixture of O. syriacum and R. officinalis showed an anti-inflammatory effect, with a synergistic antimicrobial effect. Conclusion: These findings support the idea that a diet rich in plants and herbs may contribute to the reduction of inflammation and microbial growth and may also be preventive against various infections, including those related to the oral cavity.

Phytochemical constituents, biological activities, and health‐promoting effects of the genusOriganum

“…Antiinflammatory activities of methanol extracts of O. syriacum and five other species other than O. syriacum were investigated in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (Assaf, Amro, Mashallah, & Haddadin, 2016). Levels of IL-6 and IL-10 were measured by using ELISA after cells were treated with 10-100 μg/ml of plant extracts.…”

Chemical Composition, Antibacterial and Antifungal Activities of Crude Dittrichia viscosa (L.) Greuter Leaf Extracts

“…Among the large variety of Mediterranean folkloric herbs, Dittrichia viscosa belonging to the Asteraceae family, has proven to be a source of natural products forming the basis for alternative medicine and natural therapies [ 2 , 3 , 4 ]. Dittrichia viscosa was studied against antibiotic-resistant microorganisms, antibacterial activity and anti-fungal activity against Candida albicans and Fusarium species [ 5 , 6 ]. To the best of our knowledge, reports on antifungal activity of D. viscosa against dermatophytes, Malassezia spp.…”

Rapid detection of <i>Candida albicans</i> in oral exfoliative cytology samples by loop-mediated isothermal amplification

“…Many techniques are available to detect Candida species in clinical samples, including fungal culture, PAS staining, Grocott's methenamine silver staining, immunostaining, PCR, and LAMP (12)(13)(14)(15)(16)(17).…”

“…Opportunistic C. albicans infections of the oral cavity are a known risk factor for aspiration pneumonia (11). Several detection methods for C. albicans are available, including microbial culture, microscopic examination (PAS staining, Grocott's methenamine silver staining) and biochemical techniques (indirect hemagglutination, counterimmunoelectrophoresis), polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and real-time PCR (12)(13)(14)(15)(16)(17). However, these methods require technical expertise and complex devices, and diagnosis using them is time-consuming and costly.…”