Origanum vulgare essential oil affects pathogens causing vaginal infections

Area of Science:

• Phytochemistry
• Microbiology
• Pharmacology

Background:

• Vaginal infections are common health issues.
• There is a need for alternative antimicrobial agents.
• Origanum vulgare L. (oregano) essential oil (EO) possesses known antimicrobial properties.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the antimicrobial efficacy of Origanum vulgare L. essential oil against vaginal pathogens.
• To determine the minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimal bactericidal/fungicidal concentration (MBC/MFC) of the EO.
• To assess the potential of EO as a component in vaginal suppositories (vaginalettes).

Main Methods:

• Minimal microdilution methods were used to determine MIC and MBC/MFC values for 15 clinical isolates.
• Candida growth rate was assessed using optical density (OD).
• DAPI staining evaluated nuclear changes, brine shrimp assay determined toxicity, and Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) analyzed chemical composition.

Main Results:

• Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and Candida albicans strains showed susceptibility to the EO.
• Inhibition of Candida albicans filamentation was observed at 0.45 μl/ml.
• The study identified specific strains most affected by the EO.

Conclusions:

• Origanum vulgare L. EO demonstrates significant antimicrobial activity against key vaginal pathogens.
• The study suggests using IC50 and IC99 values from 24-hour growth curves as faster indicators for MIC and MFC.
• The findings support the potential use of Origanum vulgare L. EO in gynecological treatments for vaginal infections.