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The present work was aimed to prepare alginate-HPMC polymeric beads containing fennel oil and evaluate its potential as a controlled release system for larvicidal activity against Aedes agypti , Anopheles stephensi , and wild mosquito larvae. This study was carried out by emulsifying fennel oil with PEG 400 in an aqueous phase containing alginate and HPMC mixture and the fabrication of beads by an ionotropic gelation method using CaCl 2 as a cross-linker. The concentrations of sodium alginate, HPMC, and CaCl 2 were taken as process parameters. The fennel oil emulsion was characterized based on the oil droplet size (378 nm), polydispersity index (0.250), and viscosity (4518±269 cps at 100 rpm). The prepared beads were characterized by NMR, FTIR, and SEM for the confirmation of fennel oil entrapment in alginate beads and surface topographical study. The beads were further evaluated for %EE (79±0.22 %) loading capacity (78.56±0.309 %) and in-vitro drug release (91.66±0.47 % in 72 hours). The in-vivo larvicidal bioassay showed that the fennel oil-loaded alginate beads resulted in 100 % mortality of Aedes agypti , Anopheles stephensi , and wild mosquito larvae within 24 hours. These results confirm that the fennel oil-loaded alginate beads exhibited good entrapment efficiency, control release properties, and suitable larvicidal activity. [Display omitted] • Fennel essential oil has potent larvicidal efficacy against Aedes agypti , Anopheles stephensi , and wild mosquito larvae • The main concern utilizing fennel oil for larvicidal activity is that it is volatile and degrades quickly • Encapsulation of fennel essential oil reduces its volatilization and protects it from the external environment • Fennel oil-loaded polymeric beads composed of a mixture of sodium alginate and HPMC resulted in increased stability of fennel oil with prolonged-release properties to exert extended mosquito larvicidal activity [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Foeniculum vulgare (Apiaceae) is commonly known as fennel. This herb is well-known worldwide and traditionally used as curative herbal therapy for the treatment of epileptic disease, seizurescarminative, digestive, lactogogue, diuretic, treating respiratory and gastrointestinal disorders. The aim of present study is to investigate the possible effect of fennel oil against the toxicity of Sodium-Valproic (SVP) in albino rats. In order to assess the protection of fennel oil on SVP induced hepato- and nephro-toxicity, male albino rats were treated with 1 ml/kg b.w fennel oil 3 days/week for 6 weeks. The biochemical analyses of hepatic enzymes were evaluated by estimating blood biomarkers of liver and renal damage along with histological examination. The results obtained from this work showed that treating animals with SVP lead to many histopathological alterations in the liver and kidney tissues. The effect appeared in the liver tissue include leukocyte infiltrations, cytoplasmic vacuolization of the hepatocytes, fatty degeneration and congestion of blood vessels. This commonly used chemical (SVP) caused some unwanted effects on the kidney cortex which histologically observed as degeneration in renal tubules, atrophy of the glomeruli and edema. Biochemical results also revealed an abnormal increase in the enzyme level of AST, SAT, ALP, bilirubin, creatinine and urea-nitrogen, with a noticed decrease in total protein content. However, the results of treated rats with SVP plus fennel oil showed some positive histopathological changes in both the liver and kidney tissues. These results have confirmed that fennel oil has positive effects on the histological structure of the liver and kidney and the biochemical levels of AST, ALT, ALP, bilirubin, total proteins, creatinine and urea. It is concluded that fennel oil has various pharmacological properties including antioxidant, anti-cancer activity, anti-inflammatory. These valuable effects might be due to the presence of aromatic compounds trans -anethole. This useful properties of fennel plant could be due to its antioxidant activity that prevents the toxicity of SVP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Foeniculum vulgare was subjected to foliar spray of yeast and chitosan-oligosaccharide cultivated under organic farming. • Yeast and chitosan-oligosaccharide improve plant growth, fruit, and oil output. • Yeast increases trans-anethole and decreases estragole proportions of essential oils. • Chitosan-oligosaccharide decreases trans-anethole and increases estragole proportions of essential oils. • Yeast is encouraged to increase plant growth and fruit yield and improve essential oil quality. Fennel is one of the most significant medicinal and aromatic herbs. It is used as a culinary ingredient and has an essential role as a raw material in the pharmaceutical industry. Many researchers across the world are working to increase the active components in the essential oil of medicinal and aromatic plants under organic farming. Growth promoters are one of the most effective methods for stimulating secondary metabolite production under organic agriculture. The objectives of this study were to investigate how foliar sprays of yeast extract (Y) and/or chitosan-oligosaccharide (CHO) affected the growth and yield of organic fennel (Foeniculum vulgare spp. vulgare Mill.) and if these applications can stimulate the production of pharmaceutical active ingredients in fennel fruits. Fennel foliage was subjected to foliar spray of Y at concentrations of 0 (Y0), 2 (Y1), and 4 (Y2) g L−1, and CHO at concentrations of 0 (CHO0), 60 (CHO1), and 120 (CHO2) mg L−1 twice. The results revealed that both Y and CHO treatments promoted growth parameters and leaf pigments content. Total phenols and nutritional content (N, P, K, Ca, and Mg) in fennel fruits were also improved. Furthermore, Y and CHO treatments enhanced fruit and oil productivity. Foliar spraying with Y and/or CHO, as well as their combination, resulted in significant modification in main pharmacological active components in fennel essential oil. Treated plants with Y1 had the lowest proportion of estragole (24.61 %), an undesirable component in fennel oil, and the highest concentration of anethole (64.50 %), which improved the oil quality. While treated plants with CHO1 or CHO2 displayed an increase in estragole content by about 33.34 and 46.59 % compared with Y1-plants, respectively. These new findings demonstrated that applying Y2 or CHO at both levels not only increased fennel growth and yield, but also contributed to increasing estragole and decreasing anethole concentration, and both had a negative impact on essential oil quality. However, applying Y1 enhanced fennel productivity as well as essential oil quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Herbal oils are promising sources of antimicrobial agents. • This is the first time to investigate the antimicrobial activities of fennel essential oil against biofilm formed by Candida species causing vulvovaginal candidiasis. • This is the first study that investigates the combined antimicrobial effect of fluconazole and fennel oil against Candida species. To screen the antimicrobial activities of some plant essential oils against clinical isolates of C. albicans causing vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC) and to investigate the antifungal effect of the most active one against planktonic and sessile cells compared to fluconazole. Screening of biofilm production by C. albicans causing VVC was performed by tissue culture plate method. The antifungal susceptibility of fluconazole was performed by disk diffusion method. Antifungal activities of nine essential oils were screened against strong biofilm-producer, fluconazole-resistant or dose-dependently susceptible clinical isolates and Candida albicans ATCC 10,231 by well diffusion method. Determination of the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of fennel essential oil and fluconazole against planktonic and sessile cells were performed by microdilution methods. Determination of the combined antimicrobial activity of fennel oil and fluconazole was evaluated by checkerboard microdilution assay. From 19 C. albicans strains, 10/19 showed strong ability to form biofilms. None of the tested clinical isolates was sensitive to fluconazole. Fennel oil had significantly higher antifungal activities against tested C. albicans compared with other tested oils (P = 0.000). The MICs of fennel oil for planktonic cells ranged from 0.78% to 6.25% with MIC50 of 3.12% and MIC90 of 6.25%, while concentrations ranging between 6.25% and 25% resulted in 50% biofilm reduction. Synergy or addition between fennel oil and fluconazole were detected against 7/11 strains, while no antagonism was detected. Fennel oil alone or in combination with fluconazole could provide a promising approach to the management of VVC caused by drug-resistant strains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]