AIMS The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of oregano essential oil (OEO) and two of its principle components, i.e. thymol and carvacrol, against Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus was assessed by using an innovative technique. The mechanism of action of the above substances was also investigated. METHODS AND RESULTS The applied technique uses 100-well microtitre plate and ...

Natural antimicrobials are an alternative to the use of chemically synthesized preservatives and other technological treatments. They have the advantage of not being rejected by consumers because of their natural origin. However, prior to their usage at a food factory scale, their precise effects on microorganisms have to be known. Nisin, a bacteriocin, and carvacrol and thymol, phenolic compou...

Objective The purpose of this randomized, cross-over, in situ study was to determine the remineralization of demineralized dentin specimens after the application of a 10% fluoride (F-) or a 1% chlorhexidine-1% thymol (CHX-thymol) varnish. Material and Methods Twelve individuals without current caries activity wore removable appliances in the lower jaw for a period of four weeks. Each appliance ...

Wastes generated from the production of cattle and swine in confined facilities create the potential for surface and groundwater pollution, emission of greenhouse gases, transmission of pathogens to food and water sources, and odor. It is our hypothesis that something which inhibits microbial fermentation in livestock wastes will be beneficial to solving some of the environmental problems. Our ...

Antioxidant consumption has been reported to be inversely associated with the incidence of coronary artery disease. To clarify the possible role of vitamin E and volatile oils in the prevention of atherosclerosis, the effects of these compounds on the susceptibility of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) to oxidative modification were investigated. In this study, vitamin E and seven volatile oils “an...

Carvacrol and thymol have been widely studied for their ability to control food spoilage and to extend shelf-life of food products due to their antimicrobial and antioxidant activities. However, they suffer from poor aqueous solubility and pronounced flavoring ability that limit their application in food systems. These drawbacks could be surpassed by encapsulation in cyclodextrins (CDs). Applic...

During the course of experimental work on leprous patients in Hawaii, Dr. Eric Fennel observed a relationship between the thymol turbidity and cephalin-ehoiesteroi tests, the albumin: globulin ratio and the degree of skin involvement in the cases he studied. He made observations on 25 cases and included some of his fi ndings in a report on the thymol turbidity test (4), but he felt that they we...

The species Lippia sidoides Cham. (Verbenaceae) is utilized in popular medicine as a local antiseptic on the skin and mucosal tissues. Enterococcus faecalis is the bacterium isolated from root canals of teeth with persistent periapical lesions and has the ability to form biofilm, where it is responsible for the failure of endodontic treatments. Essential oil of L. sidoides (EOLS) and its major ...

The major components of oregano and thyme essential oils that had previously been shown to inhibit Escherichia coli O157:H7 were determined by high-performance liquid chromatography with UV detection and liquid chromatographic tandem mass spectrometry. The MICs and MBCs of carvacrol, thymol, p-cymene, and gamma-terpinene against a strain of E. coli O157: H7 phage type 34 isolated from bovine fe...

A new approach for estimating local basicities/acidities of groups exposed on crystal surfaces was formulated and validated. The model, constructed within a quantitative structure-property relationship (QSPR) framework, allowed the expression of the protonic properties of amine and sulfonamide groups as functions of simple molecular descriptors of geometric types. This enabled the application o...