Binary and Tertiary Mixtures of Satureja hortensis and Origanum vulgare Essential Oils as Potent Antimicrobial Agents Against Helicobacter pylori

Abstract

Essential oils possess strong antimicrobial activity, even against multiresistant Helicobacter pylori. Available therapies against H. pylori infection have multiple disadvantages, indicating a great need for a development of new therapeutics. The purpose of this study was to develop a potent natural product based anti-H. pylori formulation. First, anti-H. pylori activity of nine essential oils was determined, after which the most active oils were mixed in various ratios for further testing. Satureja hortensis, Origanum vulgare subsp. vulgare and O. vulgare subsp. hirtum essential oils expressed the highest activity (MIC = 2 μL mL(-1)). Their binary and ternary mixtures exhibited notably higher antimicrobial activity (MIC ≤ 2 μL mL(-1)). The most active was the mixture of S. hortensis and O. vulgare subsp. hirtum oils in volume ratio 2:1, which expressed 4 times higher activity than individual oils (MIC = 0.5 μL mL(-1)). According to GC-MS, both oils in the mixture were characterized by high content of phenols (48-73%), with carvacrol as the main carrier of antimicrobial activity. Presented in vitro study pointed out binary mixture of S. hortensis and O. vulgare subsp. hirtum essential oils in volume ratio 2:1 as promising candidate for further in vivo studies targeting H. pylori infection.

Carvacrol and human health: A comprehensive review

“…Due to the flavoring and antimicrobial activities, in particular, CV has been proposed as a natural food preservative for the food industry (Daferera, Ziogas, & Polissiou, ; Solórzano‐Santos & Miranda‐Novales, ; Salehi, Mishra, et al, 2018). In addition, CV, as a main constituent of plant extracts derived from Zataria multiflora Boiss, Satureja hortensis , and O. vulgare , improves the immune response (Boskabady & Gholami Mahtaj, ; Boskabady & Jalali, ; Boskabady, Tabatabaee, & Jalali, ; Khazdair, Ghorani, Alavinezhad, & Boskabady, ), mediating the antimicrobial, antioxidant, anti‐inflammatory, and anticancer properties of these plants (Burt et al, ; Fitsiou et al, ; Hashemipour et al, ; Kim, Lillehoj, Lee, Jang, & Bravo, ; Lesjak et al, ; Mahtaj, Feizpour, Kianmehr, Soukhtanloo, & Boskabady, ; Ocaña‐Fuentes, Arranz‐Gutiérrez, Señorans, & Reglero, ; Rajput et al, ; Silva et al, ). The major aim of this review was to provide the most updated evidence, including clinical trials, of CV in human health, with a focus on its pharmacokinetics and safety profile and antibacterial, antioxidant, and anticancer activities.…”

Binary mixture of Satureja hortensis and Origanum vulgare subsp. hirtum essential oils: in vivo therapeutic efficiency against Helicobacter pylori infection

“…This study primarily aimed to investigate the in vivo anti‐ H. pylori effect of the 2:1 mixture of S. hortensis and O. vulgare subsp. hirtum essential oils (2MIX), as our previous in vitro results demonstrated that this essential oil mixture would be a highly effective therapeutic agent against H. pylori …”

“…Essential oils were prepared as described previously . Briefly, the plant material of S. hortensis and O. vulgare subsp.…”

“…Cells were cultured in 2MIX‐containing or control medium (medium without 2MIX) for 48 hours. Based on previous in vitro inhibitory effect of the 2MIX on H. pylori growth, dosages of treatments were 0.01%, 0.001%, and 0.0001%. Oils were incorporated to the media by sonication.…”

“…Finally, the 2:1 mixture of Satureja hortensis (summer savory) and Origanum vulgare subsp. hirtum (Greek oregano) showed the highest inhibitory effect against H. pylori growth, probably due to the synergistic effects of the terpenoid compounds . Based on these results, in this study, this 2:1 mixture (2MIX) was used for in vitro cytotoxicity and in vivo therapeutic examinations to confirm its anti‐ H. pylori activity in vivo.…”