Comparative Evaluation of Synergistic Antibacterial Effects in Blended Essential Oil against Gram-Positive and Gram-Negative Pathogens

Selective attention refers to the selecting and preferential processing of specific information while simultaneously suppressing irrelevant distractors, activities linked to various cognitive skills and academic achievements. The influence of essential oils on the cognition of humans has been extensively explored. However, the effects of essential oils on human selective attention and the underlying neural mechanisms remain unclear. In the present study, participants were divided into a “blended essential oil” group and a “no essential oil” group and enrolled on a negative priming task, including a control condition and a negative priming condition. The event-related potential technique was used to examine the brain mechanisms underlying the blended essential oil effects on human selective attention. Behavioral results showed that individuals responded more quickly in the negative priming condition when exposed to the blended essential oil. In addition, the blended essential oil eliminated the differences in the P300 amplitude in the postcentral area of the brain between the negative priming condition and the control condition. Moreover, the blended essential oil led to stronger functional connectivity during the task. The present study thus suggests that blended essential oil can significantly change brain activity and functional connections in human beings, which may improve human selective attention.

Although blended essential oils are increasingly being used for the improvement of the quality of life and for the relief of various symptoms in patients, the scientific evaluation of the aroma-therapeutic effects of blended essential oils in humans is rather scarce. In this study, we hypothesized that applying blended essential oil would provide a synergistic effect that would have a chance for success in treating depression or anxiety. Therefore, the main objective of this study was to investigate the effects of the blended essential oil on autonomic parameters and on emotional responses in humans following transdermal absorption. The blended essential oil consisted of lavender and bergamot oils. Human autonomic parameters, i.e. blood pressure, pulse rate, breathing rate, and skin temperature, were recorded as indicators of the arousal level of the autonomic nervous system. In addition, subjects had to rate their emotional condition in terms of relaxation, vigor, calmness, attentiveness, mood, and alertness in order to assess subjective behavioral arousal. Forty healthy volunteers participated in the experiments. Blended essential oil was applied topically to the skin of the abdomen of each subject. Compared with placebo, blended essential oil caused significant decreases of pulse rate, and systolic and diastolic blood pressure, which indicated a decrease of autonomic arousal. At the emotional level, subjects in the blended essential oil group rated themselves as 'more calm' and 'more relaxed' than subjects in the control group. This finding suggests a decrease of subjective behavioral arousal. In conclusion, our investigation demonstrates the relaxing effect of a mixture of lavender and bergamot oils. This synergistic blend provides evidence for its use in medicine for treating depression or anxiety in humans.

This study was aimed to compare the effectiveness of aromatherapy and acupressure massage intervention strategies on the sleep quality and quality of life (QOL) in career women. The randomized controlled trial experimental design was used in the present study. One hundred and thirty-two career women (24-55 years) voluntarily participated in this study and they were randomly assigned to (1) placebo (distilled water), (2) lavender essential oil (Lavandula angustifolia), (3) blended essential oil (1:1:1 ratio of L. angustifolia, Salvia sclarea, and Origanum majorana), and (4) acupressure massage groups for a 4-week treatment. The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index and Short Form 36 Health Survey were used to evaluate the intervention effects at pre- and postintervention. After a 4-week treatment, all experimental groups (blended essential oil, lavender essential oil, and acupressure massage) showed significant improvements in sleep quality and QOL (p < 0.05). Significantly greater improvement in QOL was observed in the participants with blended essential oil treatment compared with those with lavender essential oil (p < 0.05), and a significantly greater improvement in sleep quality was observed in the acupressure massage and blended essential oil groups compared with the lavender essential oil group (p < 0.05). The blended essential oil exhibited greater dual benefits on improving both QOL and sleep quality compared with the interventions of lavender essential oil and acupressure massage in career women. These results suggest that aromatherapy and acupressure massage improve the sleep and QOL and may serve as the optimal means for career women to improve their sleep and QOL.

The mixtures of essential oils are increasing popularly in holistic medicine. The different ratios of oil components in the preparation can result in different health benefits. Therefore, this study aimed to develop a mixture of essential oil formulation having promising bioactivities for pharmaceutical and cosmetic applications. The five popular essential oils including vetiver oil, lavender oil, eucalyptus oil, lemongrass oil, and phlai oil were selected for blended formulation. The selected oils were mixed in a suitable ratio and their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities were evaluated using 2,2-Diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical scavenging and nitric oxide (NO) radical scavenging, respectively. The prepared blended essential oil formulation had clear yellow-pale color and good smell. The blended oil showed good antioxidative activity by acting as a hydrogen donator. However, the blended oil presents mild anti-inflammatory activity via NO quenching action. The results of this study exposed that the developed blended essential oil formulation has promising properties to be used as a natural antioxidant as well as an anti-inflammatory agent in cosmetic and pharmaceutical applications.

The influence of dietary supplementation with blended essential oil on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, blood profiles and fecal characteristics was evaluated in 125 crossed ((DurocxYorkshire)xLandrace) pigs (6.21±0.20 kg initial body weight and 21 d average age). The pigs were allotted to the following treatments: i) NC (antibiotic free diet), ii) PC (NC diet+44 ppm tylosin), iii) T1 (NC diet+0.1% essential oil), iv) T2 (NC diet+0.1% essential oil (with 0.3% Benzoic acid)) and v) T3 (NC+22 ppm tylosin and 0.05% essential oil). Average daily gain (ADG) was improved in the T2 group on d 14 (p<0.05). In addition, nutrient digestibility was partially affected (both positively and negatively) by the treatments. Furthermore, the immune system was stimulated and the fecal pH and fecal noxious gases were improved in pigs that received the diets supplemented with essential oil (p<0.05). The appearance and score of diarrhea also tended to be lower in pigs that were subjected to the essential oil treatments. Collectively, the results of this study indicate that supplementation of the diet with blended essential oils could replace treatment with antibiotics to improve growth performance and fecal characteristics.

본 시험은 Blended Essential Oil 급여가 비육돈의 육질특성에 미치는 영향을 알아보고자 실시하였다. 시험 개시시 평균체중이 66.24 kg인 3원 교잡종(Landrace <TEX>${\times}$</TEX> Yorkshire <TEX>${\times}$</TEX> Duroc) 비육돈 80두를 공시하였으며, 10주간 사양시험을 실시하였다. 시험설계는 1) CON (basal diet) 2) NBE (basal diet + 75 ppm of blended essential oil), 3) NBA (basal diet + 0.3% Benzoic acid)] 및 4) BEB [basal diet + 75 ppm of blended essential oil (with 0.3% Benzoic acid)]로 4개 처리를 하여 처리당 5반복, 반복당 4두씩 완전임의 배치하였다. 등심은 일반도축장에서 110~120 kg 도축 후 수집하였다. 육질평가 결과, 근내 지방도는 NBE 처리구가 CON 처리구와 비교하여 유의적으로 높았다(P<0.05). 또한, 경도는 NBA 처리구가 CON 처리구와 비교하여 유의적으로 높았다(P<0.05). Total UFA/SFA는 NBA 처리구가 BEB 처리구와 비교하여 유의적으로 높았다(P<0.05). 이에 본 시험결과, 비육돈에 blended essential oil의 첨가는 육 및 지방 내 지방산 조성을 개선시킴으로써 브랜드 돈육 개발이 가능할 것으로 사료된다. This study was conducted to investigate the effects of blended feeding essential oils on meat quality improvement for branded pork. A total of one-hundred pigs (<TEX>$66.24\;{\pm}\;0.83\;kg$</TEX>, average initial BW) were used for 10 weeks study. Dietary treatments included: 1) CON (basal diet), 2) NBE (basal diet + 75 ppm of blended essential oil), 3) NBA (basal diet + 0.3% Benzoic acid) and 4) BEB [basal diet + 75 ppm of blended essential oil (with 0.3% Benzoic acid)]. The marbling value was improved in NBE treatment compared to NC and PC treatments (P<0.05). Hardness was higher in NBA treatment than NC and PC treatments (P<0.05). The pH value was higher in BEB treatment than PC and NBE treatments (P<0.05). In fatty acid content of lean, total UFA/SFA was higher in NBA treatment than BEB treatment (P<0.05). In conclusion, the results of this study indicated that dietary supplementation with blended essential oils improve fatty acid content of meat.

The aim of the study is the assessment of the resistance levels dynamics in clinically significant infectious agents based on the consumption dynamics of antimicrobial drugs potentially effective against bacteria with acquired drug resistance in the hospitals of the Russian Federation during the COVID-19 pandemic (2020–2022) in comparison with 2019. Material and methods. Data on antimicrobial drugs used in the Russian Federation in the period 2019–2022 in the hospital segment were downloaded from the database provided by the analytical company AlphaRM. Calculation of the indicator «Frequency of prescribing antimicrobial drugs effective against multidrug-resistant pathogens per year» in each year of observation was performed. Results. During the COVID-19 pandemic, an almost twofold increase was registered in the frequency of prescribing antimicrobial drugs potentially effective against resistant strains of both Gram-negative and Gram-positive pathogens in the hospital segment: from 1.2 in 2019 to 2% in 2021; with a subsequent decrease to 1.92% in 2022 for antimicrobial drugs effective against Gram-negative pathogens; from 0.47 in 2019 to 1.17% in 2022 for antimicrobial drugs potentially effective against Gram-positive pathogens. Conclusions. Due to the fact that the appointment of antimicrobial drugs, potentially effective against resistant strains of Gram-positive and Gram-negative pathogens, is carried out not only in cases of confirmed bacterial infections, but also empirically, and taking into account the nosocomial nature of secondary bacterial infections, further epidemiological and pharmacoepidemiological studies are required to assess the contribution of excessive consumption of antimicrobial drugs in the escalation of the problem of bacterial resistance.

Essential oils (EOs) are highly concentrated plant-derived compounds that have been used for centuries for their benefits in medicinal, food-processing, and commercial purposes - notably within the realm of cultural and luxury industries. However, only a single essential oil has been extensively studied for biological activities and wound healing. This study aimed to investigate the synergistic potential of blended essential oils (BEO) composed of tea tree essential oil (TTO), lavender essential oil (LEO), rosemary essential oil (REO), and turmeric essential oil (TEO) for its biological activities and wound healing effects on human dermal fibroblast (HDF) cells. BEO exhibited the strongest antioxidant activity against 2,2 diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and 2,2’-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) radicals with IC50 values of 10.669 and 108.497 mg/mL, respectively. It exhibited the lowest cytotoxicity against Vero cells and also demonstrated promising anti-inflammatory and anti-collagenase activities. The in vitro scratch wound healing assay on human dermal fibroblast cells indicated that BEO significantly increased cell migration rate after 48 h of incubation. The gene expression study revealed that BEO promoted wound healing by upregulating the COL1A1 gene, which is involved in type I collagen synthesis. This study is the first to confirm that the blended essential oil (BEO) has the significant potential for use as wound healing agent.

Redesigning β-lactams to combat resistance: summary and conclusions

Objective: To evaluate spectrum and resistance rates to antibacterial agents in causative pathogens of bacterial prostatitis in patients from Southern Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. Materials: 1027 isolates from cultures of urine or expressed prostatic secretion, post-massage urine or seminal fluid, or urethral samples were considered. Results: Escherichia coli (32%) and Enterococcus spp. (21%) were the most common isolates. Other Gram-negative, Gram-positive, and atypical pathogens accounted for 22%, 20%, and 5%, respectively. Resistance was <15% for piperacillin/tazobactam and carbapenems (both Gram-negative and -positive pathogens); <5% for glycopeptides against Gram-positive; 7%, 14%, and 20% for aminoglycosides, fosfomycin, and macrolides against Gram-negative pathogens, respectively; 10% for amoxicillin/clavulanate against Gram-positive pathogens; <20% for cephalosporins and fluoroquinolones against to Gram-negative pathogens (higher against Gram-positive pathogens); none for macrolides against atypical pathogens, but 20% and 27% for fluoroquinolones and tetracyclines. In West Africa, the resistance rates were generally higher, although the highest rates for ampicillin, cephalosporins, and fluoroquinolones were observed in the Gulf area. Lower rates were observed in Southeastern Europe. Conclusions: Resistance to antibiotics is a health problem requiring local health authorities to combat this phenomenon. Knowledge of the spectrum of pathogens and antibiotic resistance rates is crucial to assess local guidelines for the treatment of prostatitis.

In recent years, the rapid growth in Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) has become a global concern. Essential oils derived from plants that include bioactive components with proven antioxidative and antibacterial activities could be a potential solution to arrest this problem. In this study, antibacterial activities of DoTERRA essential oils such as Onguard, Clove, Teatree, Lavender and Eucalyptus were evaluated with Indian essential oils against clinical pathogenic bacteria. The GC-MS study revealed that cineole, terpinene, eucalyptol, and eugenol were the most prevalent bioactive components in these essential oils. The purity of the essential oils was confirmed with zeta potential and white light absorption spectrophotometer and shows that the Zeta potential of all the essential oils ranges from -51.4 to 0 mV. Using agar well diffusion and Micro broth dilution procedures, the antimicrobial activity of essential oils of clove, lavender, tea tree, eucalyptus, and On-Guard (combined) was assessed against several multi-drug-resistant bacteria. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) of essential oils in aqueous and micellar solutions were determined by Micro broth dilution techniques. The most effective antibacterial essential oils were clove, tea tree, and On guard (a blended essential oil with a predominance of Limonene and Eugenol). The current research could result in development of formulas that contain micelle or colloid suspensions of whole essential oils such as clove, On-Guard, or Tea-Tree oil to aid in antimicrobial treatment.

The group of bacterial non-ribosomally produced peptides (NRPs) has formed a rich source for drug development. Brevicidine, a bacterial non-ribosomally produced cyclic lipo-dodecapeptide, displays selective antimicrobial activity against Gram-negative pathogens. Here, we show that brevicidineB, which contains a single substitution (Tyr2 to Phe2) in the amino acid sequence of the linear part of brevicidine, has a broadened antimicrobial spectrum, showing bactericidal activity against both Gram-negative (with a MIC value of 2 to 4 mg/L) and Gram-positive (with a MIC value of 2 to 8 mg/L) pathogens. Compared with an earlier reported member of the brevicidine family, the broadened antimicrobial spectrum of brevicidineB is caused by its increased membrane disruptive capacity on Gram-positive pathogens, which was evidenced by fluorescence microscopy assays. In addition, DiSC3(5) and resazurin assays show that brevicidine and brevicidineB exert their antimicrobial activity against Gram-negative bacteria via disrupting the proton motive force of cells. Notably, as a brevicidine family member, brevicidineB also showed neither hemolytic activity nor cytotoxicity at a high concentration of 64 mg/L. This study provides a promising antibiotic candidate (brevicidineB) with a broad antimicrobial spectrum, and provides novel insights into the antimicrobial mode of action of brevicidines.

Rapid administration of appropriately indicated antibiotics is crucial in septic patients. Sepsis data supports that there is a higher risk of mortality for each hour delay from triage to antibiotic therapy, as well as for inappropriate antibiotic selection. There are a variety of rapid microbial detection systems, such as VERIGENE®, used in acute care facilities to rapidly detect bacteremia and identify resistance markers. Our study investigates the usefulness of VERIGENE® assays in accurately detecting Gram-positive and Gram-negative pathogens when compared to traditional blood culture analysis systems, such as VITEK®. 819 Gram-positive and 373 Gram-negative blood samples were collected and tested using both VERIGENE® and VITEK®. Statistical tests were two-tailed and observations were defined as statistically significant if P ≤ 0.05. VERIGENE® detected a pathogen in 816/819 (99.6%) samples of the Gram-positive blood cultures and 367/373 (98.3%) samples of the Gram-negatives compared to 805/819 (98.3%) and 367/373 (98.4%), respectively, using VITEK®. Gram-positive cultures had a sensitivity of 99.5% and a specificity of 27.3% (PPV 99.0%, NPV 42.9%, 98.7% accuracy) with VERIGENE analysis. Gramnegatives had a sensitivity of 99.2% and a specificity of 20.0% (PPV 98.9%, NPV 25.0%, 98.4% accuracy). Although statistically insignificant (P = 0.25), VERIGENE® was 1.3% more likely to identify Gram-positive bacteria when compared to conventional methods. Overall, we concluded that VERIGENE® assays are valuable in their ability to rapidly detect microorganisms and resistance markers, given their high sensitivities. This allows for select targeted therapy in patients with sepsis and can ultimately reduce mortality rates.

BackgroundCystic fibrosis (CF) is a life-limiting disorder that is characterised by respiratory tract inflammation that is mediated by a range of microbial pathogens. Small colony variants (SCVs) of common respiratory pathogens are being increasingly recognised in CF. The aim of this systematic review is to investigate the prevalence of SCVs, clinical characteristics and health outcomes for patients with CF, and laboratory diagnostic features of SCVs compared to non-small colony variants (NCVs) for a range of Gram-positive and Gram-negative respiratory pathogens.MethodsA literature search was conducted (PubMed, Web of Science, Embase and Scopus) in April 2020 to identify articles of interest. Data pertaining to demographic characteristics of participants, diagnostic criteria of SCVs, SCV prevalence and impact on lung function were extracted from included studies for analysis.ResultsTwenty-five of 673 studies were included in the systematic review. Individuals infected with SCVs of Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) were more likely to have had prior use of the broad-spectrum antibiotic trimethoprim sulfamethoxazole (p < 0.001), and the prevalence of SCVs in patients infected with S. aureus was estimated to be 19.3% (95% CI: 13.5% to 25.9%). Additionally, patients infected with SCVs of Gram-negative and Gram-positive pathogens were identified to have a lower forced expiratory volume in one second percentage predicted (-16.8, 95% CI: -23.2 to -10.4) than those infected by NCVs. Gram-positive SCVs were commonly described as small and non-haemolytic, grown on Mannitol salt or blood agar for 24 h at 35°C and confirmed using tube coagulase testing.ConclusionThe findings of this systematic review demonstrate that SCVs of S. aureus have a high prevalence in the CF community, and that the occurrence of SCVs in Gram-positive and Gram-negative pathogens is linked to poorer respiratory function. Further investigation is necessary to determine the effect of infection by SCVs on the CF population.

To better understand the difficulties surrounding the identification of novel antibacterial compounds from corporate screening collections, physical properties of ∼3200 antibacterial project compounds with whole cell activity against Gram-negative or Gram-positive pathogens were profiled and compared to actives found from high throughput (HTS) screens conducted on both biochemical and phenotypic bacterial targets. The output from 23 antibacterial HTS screens illustrated that when compared to the properties of the antibacterial project compounds, the HTS actives were significantly more hydrophobic than antibacterial project compounds (typically 2-4 log units higher), and furthermore, for 14/23 HTS screens, the average clogD was higher than the screening collection average (screening collection clogD = 2.45). It was found that the consequences of this were the following: (a) lead identification programs often further gained hydrophobic character with increased biochemical potency, making the separation even larger between the physicochemical properties of known antibacterial agents and the HTS active starting point, (b) the probability of plasma protein binding and cytotoxicity are often increased, and (c) cell-based activity in Gram-negative bacteria was severely limited or, if present, demonstrated significant efflux. Our analysis illustrated that compounds least susceptible to efflux were those which were highly polar and small in MW or very large and typically zwitterionic. Hydrophobicity was often the dominant driver for HTS actives but, more often than not, precluded whole cell antibacterial activity. However, simply designing polar compounds was not sufficient for antibacterial activity and pointed to a lack of understanding of complex and specific bacterial penetration mechanisms.