Preliminary Assessment of the Mucosal Toxicity of Tea Tree (Melaleuca alternifolia) and Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) Essential Oils on Novel Porcine Uterus Models

Abstract

Antimicrobial resistance, an ever-growing global crisis, is strongly linked to the swine production industry. In previous studies, Melaleuca alternifolia and Rosmarinus officinalis essential oils have been evaluated for toxicity on porcine spermatozoa and for antimicrobial capabilities in artificial insemination doses, with the future perspective of their use as antibiotic alternatives. The aim of the present research was to develop and validate in vitro and ex vivo models of porcine uterine mucosa for the evaluation of mucosal toxicity of essential oils. The in vitro model assessed the toxicity of a wider range of concentrations of both essential oils (from 0.2 to 500 mg/mL) on sections of uterine tissue, while the ex vivo model was achieved by filling the uterine horns. The damage induced by the oils was assessed by Evans Blue (EB) permeability assay and histologically. The expression of ZO-1, a protein involved in the composition of tight junctions, was assessed through immunohistochemical and immunofluorescence analysis. The results showed that low concentrations (0.2–0.4 mg/mL) of both essential oils, already identified as non-spermicidal but still antimicrobial, did not alter the structure and permeability of the swine uterine mucosa. Overall, these findings strengthen the hypothesis of a safe use of essential oils in inseminating doses of boar to replace antibiotics.

A Novel Perilla frutescens (L.) Britton Cell-Derived Phytocomplex Regulates Keratinocytes Inflammatory Cascade and Barrier Function and Preserves Vaginal Mucosal Integrity In Vivo

“…Indeed, the ability of some phytocomplexes to modulate immune pathways with a multitarget mechanism is well-known and exploited in the pharmaceutical sector, as reported in 32 specific monographs of the European Medicine Agency (EMA) [ 60 ] and in all four volumes of World Health Organization (WHO) monographs on selected medicinal plants [ 61 ]. Herbal products also are very well used in functional cosmetics to maintain skin homeostasis and prevent dysregulation physiologically caused by environmental factors or age [ 62 ]. With the aim of transferring PFP in a practical healthcare framework, we believed that it could be rationally thought of as an ingredient for intimate care, particularly in pre- and post-menopausal women, in which the drop in circulating hormones levels, especially oestrogen, represents the main trigger of vaginal mucosa atrophy.…”

A novel ex vivo porcine model of acid-induced esophageal damage for preliminary functional evaluations of anti-gastroesophageal reflux disease medical devices

“…It is indeed extremely important to scrutinize and develop preclinical models to reduce the number of animals enrolled in in vivo studies. In such scenario, the possibility to use organs collected at slaughterhouses represents a good option in full respect of the 3Rs principle [ 23 , 24 ] and has already been described for the porcine species [ 11 , 25 ]. Nonetheless, such collection procedure has some limitations including the lack of sterility and the necessity for trained personnel capable of noticing potential lesions caused by slaughter itself.…”

Application of Melaleuca alternifolia essential oils associated with phototherapy in acneic inflammatory injury

“…The use of products originated from melaleuca is applied to studies of the most diverse pathologies studied new drugs (Assis et al, 1969). The essential oil does not present toxicity, being the topical exposure classified as safe (Bertocchi et al, 2020) besides good tegumentary permeation, which leads to choices as a product for phytocosmetics (Capetti et al, 2020).…”