Essential Oils Loaded in Nanosystems: A Developing Strategy for a Successful Therapeutic Approach

Essential oils are complex blends of a variety of volatile molecules such as terpenoids, phenol-derived aromatic components, and aliphatic components having a strong interest in pharmaceutical, sanitary, cosmetic, agricultural, and food industries. Since the middle ages, essential oils have been widely used for bactericidal, virucidal, fungicidal, antiparasitical, insecticidal, and other medicinal properties such as analgesic, sedative, anti-inflammatory, spasmolytic, and locally anaesthetic remedies. In this review their nanoencapsulation in drug delivery systems has been proposed for their capability of decreasing volatility, improving the stability, water solubility, and efficacy of essential oil-based formulations, by maintenance of therapeutic efficacy. Two categories of nanocarriers can be proposed: polymeric nanoparticulate formulations, extensively studied with significant improvement of the essential oil antimicrobial activity, and lipid carriers, including liposomes, solid lipid nanoparticles, nanostructured lipid particles, and nano- and microemulsions. Furthermore, molecular complexes such as cyclodextrin inclusion complexes also represent a valid strategy to increase water solubility and stability and bioavailability and decrease volatility of essential oils

The cypsela (achene) of Echinacea purpurea as a diffusion unit of a community of microorganisms

Echinacea purpurea is a plant cultivated worldwide for its pharmaceutical properties, mainly related to the stimulation of the immune system in the treatment of respiratory infections. The cypselas (fruits) of E. purpurea were examined in order to investigate the presence, localization and potential function(s) of endophytic microorganisms. Electron and confocal microscopy observations showed that three different components of microorganisms were associated to cypselas of E. purpurea: (i) one endocellular bacterial component in the cotyledons, enclosed within the host membrane; (ii) another more generic bacterial component adhering to the external side of the perianth; and (iii) a fungal component inside the porous layer of the perianth, the woody and porous modified residual of the flower, in the form of numerous hyphae able to cross the wall between adjacent cells. Isolated bacteria were affiliated to the genera Paenibacillus, Pantoea, and Sanguibacter. Plate tests showed a general resistance to six different antibiotics and also to an antimicrobial-producing Rheinheimera sp. test strain. Finally, microbiome-deprived E. purpurea seeds showed a reduced ability to germinate, suggesting an active role of the microbiome in the plant vitality. Our results suggest that the endophytic bacterial community of E. purpurea, previously found in roots and stem/leaves, might be already carried at the seed stage, hosted by the cotyledons. A further microbial fungal component is transported together with the seed in the perianth of the cypsela, whose remarkable structure may be considered as an adaptation for fungal transportation, and could influence the capability of the seed to germinate in the soil

Essential oils loaded in nanosystems: a developing strategy for a successful therapeutic approach,” Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, vol

Essential oils are complex blends of a variety of volatile molecules such as terpenoids, phenol-derived aromatic components, and aliphatic components having a strong interest in pharmaceutical, sanitary, cosmetic, agricultural, and food industries. Since the middle ages, essential oils have been widely used for bactericidal, virucidal, fungicidal, antiparasitical, insecticidal, and other medicinal properties such as analgesic, sedative, anti-inflammatory, spasmolytic, and locally anaesthetic remedies. In this review their nanoencapsulation in drug delivery systems has been proposed for their capability of decreasing volatility, improving the stability, water solubility, and efficacy of essential oil-based formulations, by maintenance of therapeutic efficacy. Two categories of nanocarriers can be proposed: polymeric nanoparticulate formulations, extensively studied with significant improvement of the essential oil antimicrobial activity, and lipid carriers, including liposomes, solid lipid nanoparticles, nanostructured lipid particles, and nano-and microemulsions. Furthermore, molecular complexes such as cyclodextrin inclusion complexes also represent a valid strategy to increase water solubility and stability and bioavailability and decrease volatility of essential oils

Novel Sources of Biodiversity and Biomolecules from Bacteria Isolated from a High Middle Ages Soil Sample in Palermo (Sicily, Italy)

The urban plan of Palermo (Sicily, Italy) has evolved throughout Punic,Roman, Byzantine, Arab, and Norman ages until it stabilized within the borders thatcorrespond to the current historic center. During the 2012 to 2013 excavation cam-paign, new remains of the Arab settlement, directly implanted above the structures ofthe Roman age, were found. The materials investigated in this study derived from theso-called Survey No 3, which consists of a rock cavity of subcylindrical shape coveredwith calcarenite blocks: it was probably used to dispose of garbage during the Arabicage and its content, derived from daily activities, included grape seeds, scales andbones offish, small animal bones, and charcoals. Radiocarbon dating confirmed themedieval origin of this site. The composition of the bacterial community was character-ized through a culture-dependent and a culture-independent approach. Culturablebacteria were isolated under aerobic and anaerobic conditions and the total bacterialcommunity was characterized through metagenomic sequencing. Bacterial isolateswere tested for the production of compounds with antibiotic activity: aStreptomycesstrain, whose genome was sequenced, was of particular interest because of its inhibi-tory activity, which was due to the Type I polyketide aureothin. Moreover, all strainswere tested for the production of secreted proteases, with those belonging to the ge-nusNocardioideshaving the most active enzymes. Finally, protocols commonly usedfor ancient DNA studies were applied to evaluate the antiquity of isolated bacterialstrains. Altogether these results show how paleomicrobiology might represent an inno-vative and unexplored source of novel biodiversity and new biotechnological tools