Formulation, Evaluation and Optimization of Antimicrobial Potential of Herbal Cream Containing Allium sativum, Moringa oleifera Extracts and Thymus vulgaris Oil

BACKGROUND

Herbal preparations can be formed by combining several plant classes. One possible explanation for the effectiveness of combined medications is that the various mixtures with different mechanisms may add up to produce a more comprehensive therapeutic effect.

OBJECTIVE

This study aims to investigate the synergistic antibiotic potential of a cream containing three natural herbal extracts: Allium sativum, Moringa oleifera, and Thymus vulgaris. The efficacy of combining these plant extracts was compared to that of a standard antibiotic formulation (Polyfax).

METHODS

The herbal cream was formulated by using aqueous extracts of garlic (Allium sativum), moringa (Moringa oleifera) and essential oil of thyme (Thymus vulgaris). The study aimed to explore the therapeutic potential of these extracts against bacteria. P. aeruginosa, B. subtilis, E. coli, S. aureus, and S. pneumonia are commonly found in fresh wounds.

RESULTS

The results showed that garlic extract (5%) had the highest zone of inhibition, 14.26 ± 0.05 mm, and a combination of garlic (5%) and thyme (2%) exhibited a significant synergistic effect, with a 23.5 ± 0.05 mm zone of inhibition. High-performance liquid chromatography analysis revealed the presence of allicin, quercetin and thymol as potential therapeutic phytoconstituents. The formulated herbal cream had a soft texture, was easily spreadable, and had better stability and absorption than the standard polyfax. The topical application of the cream did not cause any skin reaction or allergy in mice. The in vivo wound healing effect of the herbal cream was investigated on an abrasion model of albino mice, and the results showed that the treatment group (46 ± 16.31%) had significant wound healing potential compared to the standard (64 ± 17.49%) and control groups (18 ± 3.74%).

CONCLUSION

The formulated herbal cream was a better alternative to standard therapy, exhibiting promising healing and antimicrobial effects with significant compatibility and safety profile.

Effects of Thymus vulgaris Oil on Sodium Hypochlorite-Induced Damage in Rats

We aimed to determine the potential damage mechanisms of exposure to widely used sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) and the effects of Thymus vulgaris on this exposure. Rats were divided into six groups: control, T. vulgaris, 4% NaOCl, 4% NaOCl + T. vulgaris, 15% NaOCl, and 15% NaOCl + T. vulgaris. Serum and lung tissue samples were taken after applying NaOCl and T. vulgaris by inhalation twice a day for 30 min for four weeks. The samples were examined biochemically (TAS/TOS), histopathologically, and immunohistochemically (TNF-α). In serum TOS values, the mean of 15% NaOCl was significantly higher than in 15% NaOCl + T. vulgaris. This was the opposite in terms of serum TAS values. Histopathologically, there was a significant increase in lung injury in 15% NaOCl; significant improvement was observed in 15% NaOCl + T. vulgaris. Immunohistochemically, there was a significant increase in TNF-α expression in both 4% NaOCl and 15% NaOCl; significant decreases were observed in both 4% NaOCl + T. vulgaris and 15% NaOCl + T. vulgaris. The use of sodium hypochlorite, which is harmful to the lungs and is widely used in homes and industries, should be limited. In addition, using T. vulgaris essential oil by inhalation may protect against the harmful effects of sodium hypochlorite.

HPLC, FTIR and GC-MS Analyses of Thymus vulgaris Phytochemicals Executing In Vitro and In Vivo Biological Activities and Effects on COX-1, COX-2 and Gastric Cancer Genes Computationally

Medicinal plants have played an essential role in the treatment of various diseases. Thymus vulgaris, a medicinal plant, has been extensively used for biological and pharmaceutical potential. The current study was performed to check the biopotential of active biological compounds. The GC-MS analysis identified 31 compounds in methanolic crude extract, among which thymol, carvacrol, p-cymene, and eugenol are the main phytoconstituents present in T. vulgaris. The HPLC analysis quantified that flavonoids and phenolic acids are present in a good concentration in the active fraction of ethyl acetate and n-butanol. FTIR confirmed the presence of functional groups such as phenols, a carboxylic group, hydroxy group, alcohols, and a benzene ring. Among both fractions, ethyl acetate showed high antioxidant activity in the DPPH (84.1 0.88) and ABTS (87.1 0.89) assays, respectively. The anti-inflammatory activity of the fractions was done in vitro and in vivo by using a carrageenan-induced paw edema assay, while the hexane-based extract showed high anti-inflammatory activity (57.1 0.54) in a dose-response manner. Furthermore, the lead compound responsible for inhibition in the denaturation of proteins is thymol, which exhibits the highest binding affinity with COX1 (-6.4 KJ/mol) and COX2 (-6.3 KJ/mol) inflammatory proteins. The hepatotoxicity analysis showed that plant-based phytoconstituents are safe to use and have no toxicity, with no necrosis, fibrosis, and vacuolar degeneration, even at a high concentration of 800 mg/kg body weight. Furthermore, the in silico analysis of HPLC phytochemical compounds against gastric cancer genes showed that chlorogenic acid exhibited anticancer activity and showed good drug-designing characteristics. Thrombolysis and hemolysis are the major concerns of individuals suffering from gastric cancer. However, the T. vulgaris fractions showed thrombolysis from 17.6 to 5.4%; similarly, hemolysis ranged from 9.73 to 7.1% at a concentration of 12 mg/mL. The phytoconstituents present in T. vulgaris have the potential for multiple pharmacological applications. This should be further investigated to isolate bioactive compounds that can be used for the treatment of different ailments.

Assessment of algal biomass towards removal of Cr(VI) from tannery effluent: a sustainable approach

The current investigation focuses on a systematic study of application of two dried algal biomass (i.e., Nostoc sp. and Turbinaria vulgaris) in removal of Cr(VI) from synthetic solution as well as tannery industrial wastewater. The optimized conditions for Cr(VI) removal are nearly same for the both the biosorbents (i.e., pH 2.8, initial Cr(VI) concentration 100 mg L^-1, biomass dosage of 1.2g L^-1, contact time 120 and 110 min). Nostoc sp. (q_max=23.94mg g^-1) was observed to possess a superior removal capability when compared to Turbinaria vulgaris (q_max=21.8mg g^-1). Desorption studies were performed with four different desorbing agents. Application study was conducted using tannery wastewater with Nostoc sp. and 94.20% removal of Cr(VI) was obtained. Hence, this study revealed that Nostoc sp. and T. vulgaris both have great potential to be an environment friendly and economic biosorbent for removal of Cr(VI) containing industrial effluent.

Chemical Composition and Antioxidant Activity of Thyme, Hemp and Coriander Extracts: A Comparison Study of Maceration, Soxhlet, UAE and RSLDE Techniques

Appropriate and standardized techniques for the extraction of secondary metabolites with interesting biological activity from plants are required. In this work, a comparison of different conventional and unconventional extraction techniques (maceration—M, Soxhlet—S, ultrasound assisted extraction—UAE, and rapid solid-liquid dynamic extraction—RSLDE) was investigated. Bioactive compounds were extracted from Thymus vulgaris L. (thyme), Cannabis sativa L. (industrial hemp) and Coriandrum sativum L. (coriander) and chemically characterized for their volatile fraction and polyphenolic content by means of gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and high performance liquid chromatography-ultraviolet (HPLC-UV). Linalool (48.19%, RSLDE) and carvacrol (21.30%, M) for thyme, caryophyllene (54.78%, S) and humulene (14.13%, S) for hemp, and linalool (84.16%, RSLDE) for coriander seeds were the main compounds among terpenes, while thyme was the richest source of polyphenols with rosmarinic acid (51.7 mg/g dry extract-S), apigenin (7.6 mg/g dry extract-S), and luteolin (4.1 mg/g dry extract-UAE) being the most abundant. In order to shed light on their potential as natural food preservatives, the biological activity of the extracts was assessed in terms of antioxidant activity (2,2′-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid—ABTS˙⁺, ferric reducing antioxidant power—FRAP, 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl—DPPH˙ assays) and phenolic content (Folin–Ciocâlteu method). For thyme, Soxhlet extracts showed best performances in FRAP and ABTS˙⁺ assays (74 mg TE/g dry extract and 134 mg TE/g dry extract, respectively), while Soxhlet and RSLDE extracts recorded similar activity in DPPH˙ (107–109 mg TE/g dry extract). For hemp and coriander, indeed, RSLDE extracts accounted for higher antioxidant activity as evidenced by FRAP (80 mg TE/g dry extract and 18 mg TE/g dry extract, respectively) and ABTS˙⁺ (557 mg TE/g dry extract and 48 mg TE/g dry extract, respectively) assays. With respect to DPPH˙, the best results were observed for UAE extracts (45 mg TE/g dry extract and 220 mg TE/g dry extract, respectively). Our findings suggest that all the investigated techniques are valid extraction methods to retain bioactive compounds and preserve their activity for application in food and pharmaceutical formulations. Among them, the innovative RSLDE stands out for the slightly higher antioxidant performances of the extracts, coupled with the facility of use and standardization of the extraction process.

In vivo screening and evaluation of four herbs against MRSA infections

BACKGROUND

Recently, we reported high in vitro antibacterial efficacy of Althaea officinalis, Ziziphus jujuba, Cordia latifolia and Thymus vulgaris out of a total 21 plants against wide range of bacteria including MRSA. This study was therefore, designed to confirm efficacy of these four herbs against MRSA in an animal model.

METHODS

A pilot study was conducted to establish the dose of S. aureus (KY698020) required to induce clinical infection. Afterword, in main trial, efficacy of aforementioned plant extracts on the course of sore throat was checked by evaluating general health, gross lesion score, bacterial load and hematology in mice.

RESULTS

Pilot study revealed that 40 μl dose of 107 CFU/ml could induce infection which persist upto 08 days post infection. Mice treated with T. vulgaris and Z. jujuba showed reduction in gross lesion score of both heart and lungs. Treatment with only some plants could significantly decrease bacterial load of throat (T. vulgaris) heart, blood and joint (C. latifolia, and T. vulagris). Hematological indicators confirmed in vivo control of MRSA infection in all treatment groups except A. officinalis.

CONCLUSION

This is first report confirming in vivo anti-MRSA potential of C. latifolia and T. vulgaris and highlight the need to explore bioactive constituents of these plants. Moreover, previously reported in vitro antibacterial efficiency of A. officinalis could not be validated in current study.