Frontiers in Pharmacology (Oct 2022)

Antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory effects of Eugenia brejoensis essential oil in mice wounds infected by Staphylococcus aureus

  • Roseana Muniz Diniz,
  • Tatiany Gomes Ferreira Fernandes,
  • Tatiany Gomes Ferreira Fernandes,
  • Juliana Silva Pereira Mendonça,
  • Juliana Silva Pereira Mendonça,
  • Lucas dos Santos Silva,
  • Lucas dos Santos Silva,
  • Warlison Felipe de Silva Saminez,
  • Patrícia Vieira de Oliveira,
  • Erika Alves Da Fonseca Amorim,
  • Erika Alves Da Fonseca Amorim,
  • Cristiane Santos Silva e Silva Figueiredo,
  • Clovis Macêdo Bezerra Filho,
  • Maria Tereza dos Santos Correia,
  • Márcia Vanusa da Silva,
  • Joicy Cortez de Sá Sousa,
  • Joicy Cortez de Sá Sousa,
  • Adrielle Zagmignan,
  • Adrielle Zagmignan,
  • Luís Cláudio Nascimento da Silva,
  • Luís Cláudio Nascimento da Silva,
  • Luís Cláudio Nascimento da Silva

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3389/fphar.2022.999131
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 13

Abstract

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Eugenia brejoensis Mazine (Myrtaceae) is source of an essential oil (EbEO) with anti-infective activities against Staphylococcus aureus. This study evaluated the antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory potentials of EbEO in S. aureus-infected skin wounds. The excisional lesions (64 mm2) were induced on Swiss mice back (6 to 8-week-old) that were allocated into 3 groups (n = 12): 1) non-infected wounds (CON); 2) wounds infected with S. aureus ATCC 6538 (Sa); 3) S. aureus-infected wounds and treated with EbEO (Sa + EbEO). The infected groups received approximately 104 CFU/wound. The animals were treated with EbEO (10 µg/wound/day) or vehicle from the 1-day post-infection (dpi) until the 10th dpi. The clinical parameters (wound area, presence of exudate, edema intensity, etc.) were daily analyzed. The levels of inflammatory mediators (cytokines, nitric oxide, VEGF) and bacterial load were measured at the cutaneous tissue at 4th dpi and 10th dpi. Topical application of EbEO accelerated wound contraction with an average contraction of 83.48 ± 11.27 % of the lesion area until 6th dpi. In this period, the rates of lesion contraction were 54.28 ± 5.57% and 34.5 ± 2.67% for CON and Sa groups, respectively. The positive effects of EbEO on wound contraction were associated with significantly (p < 0.05) reduction on bacterial load and the release of inflammatory mediators (IL-6, IL-17A, TNF-α, NO and VEGF). Taken together, these data confirm the antimicrobial potential of EbEO and provide insights into its anti-inflammatory effects, making this essential oil an interesting candidate for the development of new therapeutic alternatives for infected cutaneous wounds.

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