Role of direct bioautographic method for detection of antistaphylococcal activity of essential oils.

The aim of the present study was the chemical characterization of some traditionally used and therapeutically relevant essential oils (thyme, eucalyptus, cinnamon bark, clove, and tea tree) and the optimized microbiological investigation of the effect of these oils on clinical isolates of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and methicillin-susceptible S. aureus (MSSA). The chemical composition of the oils was analyzed by TLC, and controlled by gas chromatography (GC) and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS). The antibacterial effect was investigated using a TLC-bioautographic method. Antibacterial activity of thyme, clove and cinnamon oils, as well as their main components (thymol, carvacrol, eugenol, and cinnamic aldehyde) was observed against all the bacterial strains used in this study. The essential oils of eucalyptus and tea tree showed weak activity in the bioautographic system. On the whole, the antibacterial activity of the essential oils could be related to their most abundant components, but the effect of the minor components should also be taken into consideration. Direct bioautography is more cost-effective and better in comparison with traditional microbiological laboratory methods (e.g. disc-diffusion, agar-plate technique)

Antimicrobial Effects of the Stinging Nettle (Urtica Dioica L.).

Nowadays increasing attention is being paid to herbs, one of the reasons is to avoid the undesirable side effects of synthetic drugs. This is the reason why the analysis of the antimicrobial activities of medicinal plants are increasingly in the focus of scientific experiments as well. One of the best-known medicinal plants is nettle. Among the nettle species in Hungary, Stinging nettle (Urtica dioica L.) can be found in the country and is most commonly utilised for medical purposes, with a focus on its leaves and roots. Nettle tea consumption is widespread in folk medicine for treating diabetes, allergies, abdominal pain, benign prostatic hyperplasia, rheumatoid arthritis and treatment of infections. This study gives a widespread summary of the reseach results about the antimicrobal impact of Stinging Nettle (Urtica dioica L.) in the scientific literature. The papers documented a positive effect of nettle for more than 30 Gram positive and Gram negative bacterias, yeasts and fungis

In Vitro Antibacterial and Antibiofilm Activity of Hungarian Honeys against Respiratory Tract Bacteria

Honey is a rich source of carbohydrates, while minor compounds such as amino acids and polyphenols contribute to its health-promoting effects. Honey is one of the oldest traditional remedies applied for microbial infections, due to its antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant properties. The aim of this study was to investigate the antibacterial and antibiofilm effects of Hungarian black locust, linden, and sunflower honeys against the most common biofilm-forming respiratory tract pathogens Haemophilus spp., Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Streptococcus pneumoniae. The unifloral character of all three honey types was confirmed by melissopalynological analysis. The antibacterial activity of each honey sample against each bacterium strain was proven with agar well diffusion assay and thin layer chromatography—direct bioautography. Kinetics and mechanisms of antibacterial action were clarified with time-kill assay and membrane degradation study. The anti-biofilm activity was evidenced using crystal violet assay. In each assay, linden honey was the most effective, followed by sunflower and black locust honey. In addition, each honey sample had greater potential to suppress respiratory tract bacteria, compared to major sugar components. In conclusion, honey in general and linden honey in particular, can have a role in the treatment of respiratory tract infections caused by biofilm-forming bacteria

Antimicrobial effects of the stinging nettle (Urtica Dioica L.) review

Nowadays increasing attention is being paid to herbs, one of the reasons is to avoid the undesirable side effects of synthetic drugs. This is the reason why the analysis of the antimicrobial activities of medicinal plants are increasingly in the focus of scientific experiments as well. One of the best-known medicinal plants is nettle. Among the nettle species in Hungary, Stinging nettle (Urtica dioica L.) can be found in the country and is most commonly utilised for medical purposes, with a focus on its leaves and roots. Nettle tea consumption is widespread in folk medicine for treating diabetes, allergies, abdominal pain, benign prostatic hyperplasia, rheumatoid arthritis and treatment of infections. This study gives a widespread summary of the reseach results about the antimicrobal impact of Stinging Nettle (Urtica dioica L.) in the scientific literature. The papers documented a positive effect of nettle for more than 30 Gram positive and Gram negative bacterias, yeasts and fungis

Az emlőrák szisztémás kezelése: szakmai útmutatás

The article presents the practice guideline of systemic treatment of breast cancer and recommendations of the 3rd Hungarian Breast Cancer Consensus Conference. It reflects the recent international guidelines (ESMO, NCCN, ABC2, St Gallen's) irrespectively of the current financial opportunities. Here we follow the early - locally advanced - locally relapsed - metastatic breast cancer line for didactic considerations and we discuss the different subgroups of breast cancer based on hormone receptor and HER2 receptor status. Diagnosis and treatment options of rare clinical entities are summarised at the end of the paper

Preliminary Study of Cesium Immobilization in a Geopolymer Matrix

Geopolymers are modern synthetic materials that have many beneficial characteristics, e.g. excellent mechanical properties, fire- and heat-resistance, minimal shrinkage and can be molded into shape. Given their aforementioned characteristics, geopolymers could be applicable as conditioning materials, e.g. to handle hazardous waste and radioactive materials. However, their long-term applicability needs to be investigated. The aim of this study is to investigate the mobility of Cs-137 radionuclides in embedding materials. Different geopolymeric matrices - namely kaolinite, bentonite, zeolites and red mud - were tested. The leach test was performed according to the ASTM C1308-08(2017) standard and the activity concentration of Cs-137 isotopes was measured by gamma spectrometry using a high-purity germanium (HPGe) semiconductor detector. According to our preliminary results, the matrices that resulted in the most significant immobilization effect were those in which bentonite, cement, fly ash and 8M NaOH were used, releasing approximately 10% of the cesium

Complex Regulatory Role of the TRPA1 Receptor in Acute and Chronic Airway Inflammation Mouse Models

The Transient Receptor Potential Ankyrin 1 (TRPA1) cation channel expressed on capsaicin-sensitive afferents, immune and endothelial cells is activated by inflammatory mediators and exogenous irritants, e.g., endotoxins, nicotine, crotonaldehyde and acrolein. We investigated its involvement in acute and chronic pulmonary inflammation using Trpa1 gene-deleted (Trpa1-/-) mice. Acute pneumonitis was evoked by intranasal Escherichia coli endotoxin (lipopolysaccharide: LPS) administration, chronic bronchitis by daily cigarette smoke exposure (CSE) for 4 months. Frequency, peak inspiratory/expiratory flows, minute ventilation determined by unrestrained whole-body plethysmography were significantly greater, while tidal volume, inspiratory/expiratory/relaxation times were smaller in Trpa1-/- mice. LPS-induced bronchial hyperreactivity, myeloperoxidase activity, frequency-decrease were significantly greater in Trpa1-/- mice. CSE significantly decreased tidal volume, minute ventilation, peak inspiratory/expiratory flows in wildtypes, but not in Trpa1-/- mice. CSE remarkably increased the mean linear intercept (histopathology), as an emphysema indicator after 2 months in wildtypes, but only after 4 months in Trpa1-/- mice. Semiquantitative histopathological scores were not different between strains in either models. TRPA1 has a complex role in basal airway function regulation and inflammatory mechanisms. It protects against LPS-induced acute pneumonitis and hyperresponsiveness, but is required for CSE-evoked emphysema and respiratory deterioration. Further research is needed to determine TRPA1 as a potential pharmacological target in the lung

Essential-oil component combinations: possibilities against respiratory tract pathogens

Nowadays, the excessive use of antimicrobials leads to the growing appearance of resistant pathogens in the case of respiratory tract infections (RTIs). Therefore, the discovery of new alternatives, which could support their therapy is an important challenge. Combination of the effective substances is one of the possible solutions. Based on this possibility, several studies focused on the interaction between essential oils (EOs) and their volatiles in the last decade.                Therefore, the aim of the present study was to evaluate the most effective EO components of cinnamon bark, thyme, clove, peppermint, and citronella oils. Direct bioautography (DB) was used in the detection of interaction profiles of trans-cinnamaldehyde, eugenol, thymol, menthol, geraniol, citronellal, and citral against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA, 4262), resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa (RPA, 34205), and P. aeruginosa (ATCC 27853). First, the minimal detectable dose (MDD) of individual components was determined. According to the MDD values, the combined, as well as the individual compounds, were applied to the TLC plates. The diameters of the inhibition zones were measured with the Motic Images Plus 2.0 program. The statistical analysis was performed with the Mann-Whitney-Wilcoxon test of the R Studio 1.1.383 program.                In the case of P. aeruginosa, a combination of thymol and menthol was active; against RPA, trans-cinnamaldehyde combined with thymol was found to be effective. Against MRSA, menthol combined with trans-cinnamaldehyde, and eugenol also showed enhanced activity.                According to our knowledge, we applied for the first time the DB for the detection of antimicrobially effective combinations of EO compounds. It could be regarded as a cost-effective and quick screening method. In the future, we would like to focus on the combinations of EOs and their main components with antibiotics as well