"The oil also showed a dose-dependent antifungal activity against Candida albicans, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, phytopathogen Pythium ultimum and dermatophyte Trichophyton mentagrophytes."

Food Chemistry

Volume 85, Issue 3, May 2004, Pages 415–421

Chemical composition and biological activities of Ishpingo essential oil, a traditional Ecuadorian spice from Ocotea quixos(Lam.) Kosterm. (Lauraceae) flower calices

• Renato Bruni^a, 
• Alessandro Medici^b, 
• Elisa Andreotti^b, 
• Carlo Fantin^c, 
• Mariavittoria Muzzoli^b, 
• Marco Dehesa^d, 
• Carlo Romagnoli^e, 
• Gianni Sacchetti^b, , 

Abstract

The essential oil of Ishpingo (Ocotea quixos, Lauraceae) fruit calices was analysed by GC (gas chromatography) and GC–MS (gas chromatography–mass spectrometry). Fourty-four compounds were identified. The main components detected were trans-cinnamaldehyde (27.9%), methylcinnamate (21.6%), 1,8-cineole (8.0%), benzaldehyde (3.6%), and β-selinene (2.1%). In vitro antioxidant properties of the essential oil, obtained by DPPH (1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl) and β-carotene bleaching assays, were also evaluated. The oil exerted a relatively good capacity to act as a non-specific donor of hydrogen atoms or electrons when checked by the diphenylpicrylhydrazyl assay, quenching 52% of the radical. On the other hand, it showed weak effects in inhibiting oxidation of linoleic acid when assayed by the β-carotene bleaching test. Antibacterial activity of the essential oil was also checked against gram positive (Enterococcus foecalis, Staphylococcus aureus) and gram negative strains (Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa). The oil also showed a dose-dependent antifungal activity against Candida albicans, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, phytopathogen Pythium ultimum and dermatophyte Trichophyton mentagrophytes.

Full Text

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Copyright © 2003 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

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Keywords

• Ocotea quixos; 
 
• Lauraceae; 
 
• Essential oil; 
 
• Antioxidant activity; 
 
• Antibacterial activity; 
 
• Antifungal activity; 
 
• Cinnamaldehyde; 
 
• Methyl cinnamate

Candida and Thyme and Tea Tree

.

The effect of thyme and tea tree oils on morphology and metabolism of Candida albicans.

"Changes that we observed for C. albicans in the pres- ence of essential oils, especially in yeast enzymatic activ- ity and carbon sources assimilation, may be associated with yeast response to environmental stress conditions, and may contribute to the reduction of C. albicans patho- genicity. "

Rajkowska K1, Kunicka-Styczyńska A1, Maroszyńska M2, Dąbrowska M3.

Author information 

Abstract

Members of Candida species cause significant problems in medicine and in many industrial branches also. In order to prevent from Candida sp. development, essential oils are more and more frequently applied as natural, non-toxic, non-pollutive and biodegradable agents with a broad spectrum of antimicrobial activity. The aim of the research was to determine changes in morphology and metabolic properties of Candida albicans in the presence of thyme and tea tree oils. Changes of enzymatic activity of isolates were observed in the presence of both tested essential oils, and they were primarily associated with loss or decrease of activity of all enzymes detected for control. Furthermore, only for 3 out of 11 isolates additional activity of N-acetyl-β-glucosaminidase, α-mannosidase, α-fucosidase and trypsin was detected. Vivid changes in biochemical profiles were found after treatment with tea tree oil and they were related to loss of ability to assimilate D-xylose, D-sorbitol and D-trehalose. The main differences in morphology of isolates compared to the control strain concerned formation of pseudohyphae structures. Both examined essential oils caused changes in cell and colony morphology, as well as in the metabolism of Candida albicans. However, the extent of differences depends on the type and concentration of an essential oil. The most important finding is the broad spectrum of changes in yeast enzymatic profiles induced by thyme and tea tree oils. It can be supposed that these changes, together with loss of ability to assimilate saccharides could significantly impact Candida albicans pathogenicity.

PMID:

 

24918492

 

[PubMed - in process]

Link to full article here.

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