The essential oils have started to be recognized for their potential antimicrobial role only in recent years. Clinical experience showed that the efficacy of antimicrobial agents depends not only on their direct effect on a given microorganism but also on the functional activity of the host immune system. Since data on the effects of essential oils on innate immune system are scanty and fragmentary, the aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of thyme (red) essential oil (EO), at subinhibitory/inhibitory concentrations, on intracellular killing activity by human PMNs against Candida albicans. The EO intracellular fungal activity was compared with that of fluconazole, one of the most antifungal drugs used in candidiasis prophylaxis and treatment. Results on effects upon the PMNs intracellular killing showed that EO and fluconazole had similar candidacidal activity. EO at 1xMIC significantly increased the intracellular killing by phagocytes, with percentages that ranged from 50 to 73%, in comparison with controls (EO-free), ranging from 33 to 50% (P<0.01). In the presence of 1xMIC fluconazole intracellular yeasts were killed at 51-69-75% (P<0.01). A similar picture was detected even at lower levels of EO (0.5xMIC), where killing values (44-57-69%) were significantly higher than those of control systems (33-47-50%;P<0.05) and overlapped with those observed in presence of 0.5xMIC fluconazole (42-58-63%). EO direct damage to the yeast cell may be, at least in part, responsible for changes that make the yeasts more susceptible to PMN lytic mechanisms. The obtained data suggest a positive antifungal interaction with phagocytes, as observed with fluconazole.
THYME RED ESSENTIAL OIL AND FLUCONAZOLE: COMPARABLE INTRACELLULAR KILLING ACTIVITY BY PMNS TOWARD CANDIDA ALBICANS
TULLIO, Viviana Cristina;MANDRAS, Narcisa;ALLIZOND, VALERIA;ROANA, Janira;BANCHE, Giuliana;SCALAS, Daniela;CUFFINI, Annamaria
2012-01-01
Abstract
The essential oils have started to be recognized for their potential antimicrobial role only in recent years. Clinical experience showed that the efficacy of antimicrobial agents depends not only on their direct effect on a given microorganism but also on the functional activity of the host immune system. Since data on the effects of essential oils on innate immune system are scanty and fragmentary, the aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of thyme (red) essential oil (EO), at subinhibitory/inhibitory concentrations, on intracellular killing activity by human PMNs against Candida albicans. The EO intracellular fungal activity was compared with that of fluconazole, one of the most antifungal drugs used in candidiasis prophylaxis and treatment. Results on effects upon the PMNs intracellular killing showed that EO and fluconazole had similar candidacidal activity. EO at 1xMIC significantly increased the intracellular killing by phagocytes, with percentages that ranged from 50 to 73%, in comparison with controls (EO-free), ranging from 33 to 50% (P<0.01). In the presence of 1xMIC fluconazole intracellular yeasts were killed at 51-69-75% (P<0.01). A similar picture was detected even at lower levels of EO (0.5xMIC), where killing values (44-57-69%) were significantly higher than those of control systems (33-47-50%;P<0.05) and overlapped with those observed in presence of 0.5xMIC fluconazole (42-58-63%). EO direct damage to the yeast cell may be, at least in part, responsible for changes that make the yeasts more susceptible to PMN lytic mechanisms. The obtained data suggest a positive antifungal interaction with phagocytes, as observed with fluconazole.
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