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One of the heavy metals which cause severe environmental pollution and biochemical changes in plants is Cadmium (Cd) while Selenium (Se) acts as an important anti-stress agent in plants. In the present research, the glasshouse experiment was conducted to examine the effect of Cd and Se on structure of the essential oil isolated from the savory plant, Satureja hortensis L. To do so, the plants were polluted with different Cd levels including 0 (the control), 75, 100, and 150 µM. Moreover, Se was used in the form of sodium selenite salt in concentrations of 0 (control), 10, 20, and 40 µM. The results show that carvacrol was the main constituent in most of the essential oil analyses, except for one of them (0 µM of Cd×10 µM of Se). Furthermore, differences among minor constituents in most of treatments were not significant. Therefore, these results indicate the role of Cd and Se in the compositional changes of S. hortensis essential oil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Garden or summer savory (Satureja hortensis L.) is one of the most important medicinal and aromatic plants that is cultivated in many parts of the world. Thus, in order to investigate the effect of zeolite and biofertilizer on essential oil yield, morphological and physiological characteristics of summer savory under water deficit stress, a split-factorial experiment was performed based on randomized complete block design with four replications at 2011 in Tehran, Iran. Irrigation regime with four levels (I1: 30, I2: 60, I3: 90 and I4: 120 irrigations after mm evaporation) and biofertilizer inoculation with three levels (B1: no inoculation, B2: inoculation with azospirillium + Mycorrhiza and B3: inoculation with Pseudomonas + Mycorrhiza) and zeolite with two levels (0 and 20 t/ha) were considered. The results showed that the highest essential oil yield was obtained under normal irrigation. The results showed that the biofertilizers were more effective on the content and yield of essential oil under normal irrigation conditions. Results also showed that the application of zeolite had a greater effect on increasing the essential oil yield in the absence of biofertilizer inoculation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: As a critical limitation of plant growing, drought stress has always received a lot of attention from botanical researchers. This study intends to investigate the role of salicylic acid and the Mycorrhiza and Azotobacter bio-fertilizer on Satureja hortensis L. under drought stress. Materials and Methods: Salicylic acid and bio-fertilizers have been shown to improve drought tolerance in growing plants. To evaluate the synergistic effect of salicylic acid, Azotobacter chroococcum bacteria, and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi under drought stress (-3.5 atm: W1), (-6.5 atm: W2), and (-10 atm: W3), a 2-year (2016 to 2018) field experiment was organized based on split-plot factorial statistical in a randomized complete block design, with three replicates. Results: The main findings of this study showed that the combinable use of bio-fertilizers and salicylic acid diminished the disadvantageous effects of drought stress. Co-application of bio-fertilizers and salicylic acid significantly increased chlorophyll a and b (22% and 31.5%), carotenoid (30.7%) contents, aerial fresh (38.3%) and dry (64.1%) weights, root fresh (55.8%), and dry (45%) weights, auxin (15%), percentage of essential oil (30.7%) in S. hortensis while it decreased the proline content (48.8%) under severe stress as compared to the control groups, which confirmed the efficacy of this approach and its role in drought tolerance. Conclusion: The results demonstrated that this new suggested treatment could effectively alleviate drought stress symptoms and improve S. hortensis growth under spreading drought conditions and limited water resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article investigated the antioxidant and antimicrobial activity of extracts from two aromatic plants—Satureja hortensis L. (SE) and Rosmarinus officinalis L. (RE), encapsulated in alginate, on—yogurt properties. The encapsulation efficiency was controlled by FTIR and SEM analysis. In both extracts, the individual polyphenol content was determined by HPLC–DAD–ESI-MS. The total polyphenol content and the antioxidant activity were spectrophotometrically quantified. The antimicrobial properties of SE and RE against gram-positive bacteria (Bacillus cereus, Enterococcus faecalis, Staphylococcus aureus, Geobacillus stearothermophilus), gram-negative bacteria (Escherichia coli, Acinetobacter baumannii, Salmonella abony) and yeasts (Candida albicans) were analyzed in vitro. The encapsulated extracts were used to prepare the functional concentrated yogurt. It was established that the addition of 0.30–0.45% microencapsulated plant extracts caused the inhibition of the post-fermentation process, the improvement of the textural parameters of the yogurt during storage, thus the shelf life of the yogurt increased by seven days, compared to the yogurt simple. Mutual information analysis was applied to establish the correlation between the concentration of the encapsulated extracts on the sensory, physical-chemical, and textural characteristics of the yogurt. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article investigated the antioxidant and antimicrobial activity of extracts from two aromatic plants—Satureja hortensis L. (SE) and Rosmarinus officinalis L. (RE), encapsulated in alginate, on—yogurt properties. The encapsulation efficiency was controlled by FTIR and SEM analysis. In both extracts, the individual polyphenol content was determined by HPLC–DAD–ESI-MS. The total polyphenol content and the antioxidant activity were spectrophotometrically quantified. The antimicrobial properties of SE and RE against gram-positive bacteria (Bacillus cereus, Enterococcus faecalis, Staphylococcus aureus, Geobacillus stearothermophilus), gram-negative bacteria (Escherichia coli, Acinetobacter baumannii, Salmonella abony) and yeasts (Candida albicans) were analyzed in vitro. The encapsulated extracts were used to prepare the functional concentrated yogurt. It was established that the addition of 0.30–0.45% microencapsulated plant extracts caused the inhibition of the post-fermentation process, the improvement of the textural parameters of the yogurt during storage, thus the shelf life of the yogurt increased by seven days, compared to the yogurt simple. Mutual information analysis was applied to establish the correlation between the concentration of the encapsulated extracts on the sensory, physical-chemical, and textural characteristics of the yogurt.

The antioxidant effect of tarragon and summer savory herbal essential oils (EOs) on precooked trout fillets during frozen storage period was investigated in this study. Three groups of fish fillets were treated with tarragon EO and three other groups were treated with summer savory EO and then cooked by different cooking methods (frying, oven baking and steaming). During the storage period, fat hydrolysis was evaluated through measuring free fatty acid value (FFA) and oxidation products were measured via peroxide value (PV) and thiobarbutiric acid reactive substances value (TBARS). During the storage period, the amount of FFA was high in oven baked samples (0.34–0.53% oleic acid) and steamed fillets (0.56–0.84% oleic acid). Following the control, the highest PV was obtained from fried fillets treated with summer savory (4.53–4.67 meq/kg) (P

Nowadays, the expansion of nanoparticles as antimicrobial and anticancer agents is one of the most exciting methods for cancer therapy and microbial diseases that can vanquish the problems of drug resistance. In this research, the biosynthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) was stated using Summer Savory extract. Moreover, these AgNPs by UV-Vis spectroscopy, FTIR, XRD, FESEM, EDX, PSA, and zeta potential analysis were characterized, and by antimicrobial and anti-cancerous performance was evaluated. The maximum absorption peak at 472 nm by UV-Visible spectra confirmed the formation of Ag nanoparticles. The results obtained by FT-IR determined the presence of organic compounds such as amines, alkenes, alcohols, phenols, which performed significant roles in the fixating of these nanoparticles. The results obtained from FESEM, EDX, PSA, and Zeta Potential Analysis revealed that synthesized AgNPs had a hexagonal structure with a size ranging from 10 to 100 nm. The antimicrobial properties of the synthesized AgNPs were examined by Minimum Inhibitory Concentration, Minimum Bactericidal Concentration, and Minimum Fungal Concentration against five microbial strains included Klebsiella pneumonia, Escherichia coli, Enterococcus faecalis, Staphylococcus aureus, and Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The results demonstrated that biosynthesized AgNPs had the most antimicrobial activity, especially against E. Coli. The anti-cancerous results of these nanoparticles through MTT assay demonstrated exceptional anticancer effects against K-562 and MCF-7 human cancer cell lines with IC50 values 50 and 200 µg/ml, respectively.

BACKGROUND: Autoxidation is an irreversible reaction which occurs with the effect of oxygen in the air, and results in unpleasant taste and smell that are known as the signs of rancidity in oil. OBJECTIVES: In this study, the antioxidant potential of clove, summer savory and tarragon essential oils (EOs) in grape seed oil was evaluated. METHODS: Effects of EOs at different concentrations (0.3, 0.5, 1, and 1.5 %, v/v) on peroxide value (PV) and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) of grape seed oil at 60 ºC were investigated. RESULTS: Results showed 1.5% clove showed the lowest PV (52.13 meq/kg) at the end of the period. Among EO- treated samples, the highest PV was seen in samples treated with tarragon. There was no significant difference between the TBARS of samples containing 1% clove and 1.5% savory at day 10 of storage. TBARS of clove treated samples increased slightly toward the end of storage and similar trend was observed for savory-treated samples. TBARS values of tarragon treated samples at each storage time were higher than those for clove and savory EOs. CONCLUSIONS: The antioxidant activity of EOs in grape seed oil was as follows: clove > summer savory > tarragon.

Treatment of bacterial diseases such as bovine mastitis with antibiotics has problems such as antibiotic resistance and drug residue in animal products. Essential oil of medicinal plants have antibacterial activity and are suitable alternatives. This study examined the antimicrobial activity of Salvia officinalis (sage) and Satureja hortensis (savory) essential oils on major mastitis-causing bacteria, including Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus agalactiae, and Escherichia coli. Chemical compositions of essential oils were determined by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Minimum inhibitory concentration and minimum bactericidal concentration of oils were determined with serial broth dilution method using autoclaved whole milk rather than synthetic broth. The effect of sub-minimum inhibitory concentrations of essential oils on the growth curve of tested bacteria in milk was obtained in 0, 1, 2, 4, 10, and 24 hours. Major compositions of sage and savory essential oils were carvacrol (61.01%), thymol (20.41%), 1R-α-pinene (7.88%), eucalyptol (32.45%), thymol (28.24%), and α-pinene (13.42%), respectively. The minimum inhibitory concentration and minimum bactericidal concentration ranged 1.25-2.5% and 2.5-5% for savory, and 0.625-1.25% and 1.25-2.5% for sage, respectively. Savory and sage significantly decreased the S. aureus and S. agalactiae population in 4, 10, and 24 h (p < 0.05) and E. coli population in 10 and 24 h (p = 0.01). The sage and savory essential oils had antibacterial effects against three tested bacteria, and sage had a stronger effect than savory because of stronger antibacterial components (carvacrol and thymol). Further in vivo tests are recommended to evaluate the efficiency of these essential oils on the treatment of bovine mastitis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nowadays, the expansion of nanoparticles as antimicrobial and anticancer agents is one of the most exciting methods for cancer therapy and microbial diseases that can vanquish the problems of drug resistance. In this research, the biosynthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) was stated using Summer Savory extract. Moreover, these AgNPs by UV-Vis spectroscopy, FTIR, XRD, FESEM, EDX, PSA, and zeta potential analysis were characterized, and by antimicrobial and anti-cancerous performance was evaluated. The maximum absorption peak at 472 nm by UV-Visible spectra confirmed the formation of Ag nanoparticles. The results obtained by FT-IR determined the presence of organic compounds such as amines, alkenes, alcohols, phenols, which performed significant roles in the fixating of these nanoparticles. The results obtained from FESEM, EDX, PSA, and Zeta Potential Analysis revealed that synthesized AgNPs had a hexagonal structure with a size ranging from 10 to 100 nm. The antimicrobial properties of the synthesized AgNPs were examined by Minimum Inhibitory Concentration, Minimum Bactericidal Concentration, and Minimum Fungal Concentration against five microbial strains included Klebsiella pneumonia, Escherichia coli, Enterococcus faecalis, Staphylococcus aureus, and Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The results demonstrated that biosynthesized AgNPs had the most antimicrobial activity, especially against E. Coli. The anti-cancerous results of these nanoparticles through MTT assay demonstrated exceptional anticancer effects against K-562 and MCF-7 human cancer cell lines with IC50 values 50 and 200 µg/ml, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Featured Application: Summer Savory extracts could be a promising pharmacological tool not only in the management of inflammation associated to Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) but also in managing the impaired secondary inflammatory mechanisms related with colorectal cancer progression, with a potential clinical use as a supplement to standard of care therapy. Summer Savory (Satureja hortensis L.) is a plant traditionally used as a food spice in the Mediterranean region. Surprisingly, not much is known about the health beneficial effects of its phenolic-rich extracts. The majority of publications have always focused on the properties of their essential oil. One of the main phenolic compounds of Summer Savory is rosmarinic acid, which has demonstrated anti-inflammatory outcomes in several animal models of inflammatory-mediated diseases. Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) is a chronic inflammatory disease, in addition to Ulcerative Colitis and Crohn's Disease, frequently related with increased morbidity and even mortality due to the complications associated, including colorectal cancer. Our work has shown, to our knowledge, for the first time, that administration of a phenolic extract of Summer Savory in a mouse model of Ulcerative Colitis led to the reduction of several markers for intestinal injury, including reduction of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2 or prostaglandin-endoperoxide synthase) expression, two well-known mediators of tissue inflammation and progression to cancer and led also to a reduction of the mortality. Given the chemical constitution found in the extract and the preclinical evidence of a beneficial effect of polyphenols in inflammatory processes, an opportunity arises for pharmacological modulation of pathways relevant for IBD and progression to cancer with phenolic-rich extracts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: One of the most important requirements in planning production and processing of medicinal plants in order to obtain high yield and high-quality is the initial assessment of the physical and chemical properties of soil, which reduces the production cost by avoiding the use of unnecessary soil analysis. Summer savory (Satureja hortensis L.) is one the most widely used medicinal plants that quality index of plant is related to the quantity and the constituent of its essential oil content. Understanding the relations between the quantity and quality of medicinal plants with the very physical and chemical properties of soil is very complex and the estimation of parameters changes of medicinal plants affect by soil quality characteristics is more difficult. Today, with the arrival of multivariable regression models and artificial lattice models in the research, many complex relationships found in nature is understandable. Hence the need for estimation the biomass yield of savory using fast, cheap and with acceptable accuracy is feeling. Materials and Methods: The present study was performed at the Agricultural Research Station Neyshabur as pot experiment based on a completely randomized design with three replications. Around 53 soil samples were collected from different parts of Neyshabur city, and soil texture, organic matter, pH, salinity, phosphorus, potassium, nitrogen and carbon content were selected as the easily available parameters. Before planting the parameters were measured in laboratory. Approximately 90 days after planting seeds in pots containing soil samples, the sampling of plants was done based on the treatments. For drying, samples were placed for 24 hours in an oven at 40 °C. Finally, the relationship between the biomass yield and easily available soil parameters was determined using artificial neural network by Matlab7.9 software. Results and Discussion: The results showed that soil variability, is a key element in the management of valuable information on soil properties within a field and valuable information on soil properties within a field nature puts at our disposal. In yield modeling with 10 parameters for 53 soil samples, the best makeup hidden layer with Levenberg-Marquardt algorithm training as a hidden layer, 58 neurons, logsig threshold function for hidden layer and Tansig for the output layer were selected. High values of R2 and low levels of RMSE mentioned the proximity of the forecast data with measurement data and high accuracy of the model in summer savory biomass yield estimation. To obtain the most sensitive parameters, the sensitivity analysis was calculated using no-sensitive coefficient. So that, if the coefficient of a sensitive parameter is more than 1.0, the mentioned parameter, is one of the critical parameters of model. Accordingly, the parameters of organic carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, organic matter, potassium, pH, salinity, clay, silt and sand respectively were selected as the most sensitive parameters. The addition of input parameters increases the value of R2 and reduces the RMSE during training, validation and test stages. This represents an increasing in the accuracy of model in estimation of biomass yield via increasing the input parameters. Models 1(soil texture) and 2(carbon) are not enough strong for biomass yield estimation. With increasing the experiment from 1 to 2, the potency of the neural network model 3(soil texture + carbon) significantly increased. Thus with an overview, the model No. 3 suggested as an improved model because with the minimum number of imputes produced equal output comparing the models with more inputs. Conclusions: Based on the obtained results, it seems that with the improvement of artificial neural network models and determining appropriate parameters, results to understanding the soil factors involved in the formation of savory plant biomass and better planning. Till leads to a cheaper and better product. Also, results showed that the artificial neural network has high accuracy in estimating the biomass plant Summer Savory. So that, the 80% of yield variability of the study area, presents by using the data of 10 readily available properties of the soil. Yield biomass of savory, largely depends on the soil texture, organic matter, carbon and the minerals of the soil. Since, this study is the first work to estimate the biomass of medicinal plants using artificial neural network, therefore recommended to use this method to estimate the yield and essential oil of other medicinal plants.

In this study, the variability of essential oil composition in different parts of summer savory was investigated. Extraction of essential oils from air-dried leaves and healthy seeds was done using water-distillation in Clevenger-type apparatus for 4 h. In total, 23 and 24 components were identified in the leaves and seeds of summer savory, respectively. Carvacrol (46.023%), Estragole (Methyl Chavicol) (6.257%), Caryophyllene (4.753%), and E-Caryophyllene (4.753%) were the major constituents in the seeds and Carvacrol (56.537%), γ-Terpinene (21.377%), and p-Cymene (8.587%) were the major constituents in the leaves. Among all constituents, Carvacrol, Caryophyllene, E-Caryophyllene, ß-Bisabolene, cis-a-Bisabolene, Caryophyllene oxide, Z-Citral, E-Citral, γ-Terpinene, and d-3-Carene were present in both of leaves and seeds. Significant positive and negative correlations were detected between constituents for the investigated parts of summer savory. In addition, the correlation analysis of same volatile constituents in seeds and leaves indicated that some constituents in one part of summer savory have a significant correlation with another part. Also, γ-Terpinene in leaves has a negative significant correlation with γ-Terpinene in the seeds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Satureja hortensis L. is an annual herbaceous plant of the Lamiaceae Lindl. family. S. hortensis L., related to thyme and rosemary, is used as spice and traditional medicinal herb in Europe. Mainly due to the polyphenols contained in S. hortensis L., this plant exhibits multiple biological effects. However, therapeutic effects on cells, including skin tumors, have not yet been studied. Therefore, the aim of this study was to compare the composition and the resulting antioxidant as well as biological properties [on melanocytes and melanoma cells] of summer, savory growing in botanical garden of Vytautas Magnus University in middle Lithuania climatic conditions, collected during various phases of vegetation. It has been shown that the budding phase alcohol extract of this plant contains the largest amounts of polyphenols, including rutin and rosemary acid, which promote the radical scavenging activity and antioxidant properties. In contrast, the extract from the massive flowering phase already at a concentration of 12.5 µg/mL reduces the survival of melanoma cells to 60% with 90% melanocytes survival. In addition, extracts from beginning of flowering and end of flowering at a concentration of 25 µg/mL, containing significantly less rutin and rosmarinic acid, in combination with irradiation of cells with UVB, significantly increased the lipid peroxidation process, particularly in melanoma cells. These data indicate the possibility of using extracts from S. hortensis L. to modulate/differentiate the metabolism of normal and tumor skin cells.

Satureja hortensis L. presents an increased interest due to its chemical composition, abundant in monoterpenes, aglyconic and glycosylates flavonoids, and phenolic acids, leading to important biological activity. The present study compared the biological activity of volatile oil (VO) and total hydro-alcoholic extract (TE) of Satureja hortensis L. in terms of: i) antioxidant activity; ii) antimicrobial activity; and iii) viability, migration and proliferation on two healthy cell lines (keratinocytes-HaCaT and fibroblasts-1BR3) and two melanoma cell lines (human-A375 and murine-B164A5). Antioxidant activity of VO and TE showed maximal values around 72%. Antimicrobial screening highlighted the inhibitory capacity of VO against all seven tested bacteria strains, with the most pronounced effect against S. aureus and C. albicans, while TE exerted only a slight activity against three bacteria strains. VO showed greater efficacy than TE on both tumor cell lines (A375 and B164A5), the activity of the compounds was higher when low concentrations were used (5, 10 and 25 µM) while at high concentrations (50 and 100 µM) the percentages of viability were increased. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research was conducted to study of the essential oil content, some morphological parameters, crop evapotranspiration (ETc) and crop coefficient (Kc) of Summer Savory (Satureja hortensis L.) in the west of Iran (Khorramabad region) in 2017. Weighing Lysimeters (25 cm diameter and 30 cm height) were used to measure important morphological parameters, the evapotranspiration of grass (ET0) and Summer Savory (ETc.) for the first time (Three lysimeters for each plant that was considered as replication). Irrigation was performed by the weighing method. The results showed that the essential oil content was 1.083%(w/w), and the average of plant height, stem diameters, root length, root diameter, number of leaf per plant, leaf and flower dry weight, stem dry weight were 47cm, 3.13mm, 14.5cm, 2.26mm, 630.7, 0.866 g/plant, 0.890 g/plant, respectively. Crop coefficient (Kc) can be used in predicting exact water requirement of crops. The result indicated that seasonal ET0 and ETcwere884.26 mm and 776.64mm. The best polynomial curve for Kc values as a function of the days after planting (DAP) was a third polynomial (Kc = 0.3908 + 15 × 10-4(DAP) + 3 × 10-4(DAP²) - 2 × 10-6(DAP³) stagespecific crop coefficient, based on FAO approach (FAO-56 Kc) was 0.45, 0.78and 1.3. Development of the regional Kc helps in irrigation management and water resources protection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Autoxidation is an irreversible reaction which occurs with the effect of oxygen in the air, and results in unpleasant taste and smell that are known as the signs of rancidity in oil. OBJECTIVES: In this study, the antioxidant potential of clove, summer savory and tarragon essential oils (EOs) in grape seed oil was evaluated. METHODS: Effects of EOs at different concentrations (0.3, 0.5, 1, and 1.5 %, v/v) on peroxide value (PV) and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) of grape seed oil at 60 ºC were investigated. RESULTS: Results showed 1.5% clove showed the lowest PV (52.13 meq/kg) at the end of the period. Among EO- treated samples, the highest PV was seen in samples treated with tarragon. There was no significant difference between the TBARS of samples containing 1% clove and 1.5% savory at day 10 of storage. TBARS of clove treated samples increased slightly toward the end of storage and similar trend was observed for savory-treated samples. TBARS values of tarragon treated samples at each storage time were higher than those for clove and savory EOs. CONCLUSIONS: The antioxidant activity of EOs in grape seed oil was as follows: clove > summer savory > tarragon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study was to evaluate savory (Satureja hortensis L.) powder (SP) and savory methanol extract (SE) levels on ileal microbial population when fed to 1-day-old to 6-week-old broiler chicks. A total of 225-day-old broiler chicks were randomly allocated to 5 treatments with 3 replicates and fed for 42 days. Treatments included no supplement (control), 1.0% and 2.0% SP in feed, 50 and 100 ppm SE in drinking water. Data analysis was performed using SAS software and means were separated using Tukey's pairwise method. The results showed that including 1.0% or 2.0% SP in broiler feed or 50 and 100 ppm SE in the drinking water significantly (P < .05) reduced the ileal Escherichia coli population when compared to birds receiving the control treatment. The ileal Lactobacillus population was significantly (P < .05) greater from birds receiving the 50 and 100 ppm SE treatments when compared to birds receiving the control treatment. Furthermore, there were no significant effects on ileal E. coli and Lactobacillus populations among the four treatments of savory. The results revealed that SP or SE can be used as an alternative to antibiotics in broiler chicken feeds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study was the fabrication of encapsulated Satureja hortensis essential oil (S.EO) in chitosan/tripolyphosphate nanoparticles (CS/TPP-NPs) via ionic gelation technique and investigation of its acaricidal effect. A high encapsulation efficiency of 96.17% was obtained, which shows successful encapsulation of EOs in CS-TPP nanoparticles. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analysis proved the formation of spherical S. hortensis EO-loaded chitosan nanoparticles (S.EO@NPs). Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis demonstrated the presence of encapsulated S.EO in CS/TPP nanoparticles. The average size of nanoparticles was found to be 192.1 ± 11 nm using dynamic light scattering (DLS) technique. Moreover, durability and fumigant acaricide activity of S.EO@NPs against Tetranychus urticae Koch were investigated. The obtained results demonstrated that there were considerable differences between pure S. hortensis EO and S.EO@NPs in their ovicidal, adulticidal, and persistence activities against T. urticae . The LC 50 values of pure EO and as-prepared S.EO@NPs against adult mite were 4.95, 46.98 µL/L after 24 h exposure and 2.02, 31.30 µL/L after 72 h exposure, respectively. Fumigation exposure for 24 and 72 h showed that the sensitivity of adults T. urticae were more than the eggs of T. urticae . The LC 50 values of fumigant toxicity of pure S.EO and S.EO@NPs against eggs of T. urticae were measured after 24 and 72 h. The experimental results for 24 h treatment showed 6.71 and 211.66 µL/L air LC 50 values for pure S.EO and S.EO@NPs, respectively. In the case of 72 h exposure, The LC 50 values of pure S.EO and S.EO@NPs were 4.15 and 107.38 µL/L air, respectively. A sustained release of S.EO from S.EO@NPs was observed during 25 days of the study, indicating the persistence acaricide activity for a long time. The as-prepared S.EO@NPs and pure S.EO illustrated 67% and 2% mortality at 18th day exposure, respectively. The notable increasing of the residual fumigant toxicity may be related to the slow and sustainable release of the active ingredient of EO. Based on this study, the S.EO@NPs showed significantly residual adulticidal activity against adults of T. urticae . S.EO@NPs would be recommended as an alternative for pure EOs and other common acaricides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summer Savory (Satureja hortensis L.) is a plant traditionally used as a food spice in the Mediterranean region. Surprisingly, not much is known about the health beneficial effects of its phenolic-rich extracts. The majority of publications have always focused on the properties of their essential oil. One of the main phenolic compounds of Summer Savory is rosmarinic acid, which has demonstrated anti-inflammatory outcomes in several animal models of inflammatory-mediated diseases. Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) is a chronic inflammatory disease, in addition to Ulcerative Colitis and Crohn’s Disease, frequently related with increased morbidity and even mortality due to the complications associated, including colorectal cancer. Our work has shown, to our knowledge, for the first time, that administration of a phenolic extract of Summer Savory in a mouse model of Ulcerative Colitis led to the reduction of several markers for intestinal injury, including reduction of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2 or prostaglandin-endoperoxide synthase) expression, two well-known mediators of tissue inflammation and progression to cancer and led also to a reduction of the mortality. Given the chemical constitution found in the extract and the preclinical evidence of a beneficial effect of polyphenols in inflammatory processes, an opportunity arises for pharmacological modulation of pathways relevant for IBD and progression to cancer with phenolic-rich extracts.

This study presents data about the chemical composition and antimicrobial effect of Satureja hortensis L. used as both dry plant and essential oil, on fresh cow’s cheese, in order to extend its shelf-life. The proximate and elemental composition of dry plant of Satureja hortensis L. highlights important level of microelements. The content of microelements increases even when small amounts of Satureja hortensis in fresh cheese were added. The addition of Satureja hortensis dry plant leads to an increase in Fe (13.46–65.54%) and Mn (8.33–88.33%) content of fresh cheese, depending on the amount of plant added. The composition of essential oil isolated from Satureja hortensis L. was analyzed by GC-MS and the main compounds found were carvacrol (19.68%), o-cymene (30.86%), and p-cymene (28.07%). In order to use Satureja hortensis L. as natural preservative in food industry, in vitro effect of plant extract and essential oil against Staphylococcus aureus Gram-positive bacteria was tested. The oil of Satureja hortensis L. showed antimicrobial activity at 0.50–1.5%, while the alcoholic extract does not inhibit Staphylococcus aureus mycelial growth. The antimicrobial effect of Satureja hortensis L. dry plant in various proportions (0.5–1.5%) and essential oil (0.1%; 0.25%; 0.5%), on fresh cow’s cheese, was assessed after 3 and 7 days by counting colonies obtained at 30°C. Results have shown that the addition of Satureja hortensis L. dry plant and essential oil led to a reduction in the total number of germs, this reduction being more significant when the essential oil was used. Regarding the effect of Satureja hortensis L. essential oil against Staphylococcus aureus inoculated in fresh cow’s cheese, the results highlight that the essential oil of Satureja hortensis L. may be a natural solution to prevent the development of this bacteria, while the ethanol extract does not prove to be effective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of our study was to examine the potential ameliorating effect of the methanolic extract of Satureja hortensis L. (summer savory) aerial parts against cisplatin-induced oxidative damage in renal, hepatic, and testicular tissues. S. hortensis methanol extract at the doses of 50, 100 and 200 mg/kg of body weight were orally administered to Wistar rats once daily for 10 days. Toxicity was induced by intraperitoneal injection of a single dose of cisplatin (7.5 mg/kg of body weight) on the 5th day of the experiment. Applied treatment with S. hortensis extract restored tissue morphology, ameliorated levels of serum parameters for liver, renal and testes function, tissue oxidative stress parameters, and increased Bcl-2/Bax ratio as an indicator of apoptosis in experimental animals caused by application of cisplatin. UHPLC/DAD/HESI-MS/MS analysis revealed that S. hortensis extract was rich in phenolic compounds with rosmarinic acid (24.9 mg/g) as the main compound, followed by caffeic acid (1.28 mg/g) and naringenin (1.06 mg/g). Our findings suggest that S. hortensis may be a valuable source of dietary and pharmacologically important phenolic compounds, especially rosmarinic acid, in pharmaceutical and functional food formulations in order to maintain normal health conditions or as a remedy in various diseases caused by oxidative damage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the effects of summer savory (Satureja hortensis L.) extract (SSE) on growth, plasma constituents, immune response, and gut microbiota of broiler chickens. A total of 300 day-old broiler chicks were randomly assigned to five dietary treatments containing five replicates of 12 birds each. The treatments consisted of a controldiet without feed additive and experimental diets supplemented with four levels of SSE (100, 200, 300, and 400 mg/kg, respectively). Results showed no significant effect of SSE supplementation on broiler body weight gain (p > 0.05), but feed conversion ratio was significantly (p < 0.05) improved when fed 400 mg/kg SSE compared to control. Most of the blood parameters and immune response criteria studied were improved (p < 0.05) by SSE supplementation. There was no dietary effect on Lactobacilli count (p > 0.05); conversely, Escherichia coli count was reduced and the Lactobacilli/E. coli ratio improved with SSE (p < 0.05). Based on our findings, it was concluded that supplementation of the diet with SSE up to 400 mg/kg sustained growth traits and improved the feed efficiency and health status of broilers. However, more research is needed on this subject in order to better understand the mode of action of the extract used.

Efficiency of conventional solvent extraction (maceration and normal refluxing) and novel extraction techniques (ultrasound-assisted extraction-UAE and microwave-assisted extraction-MAE) were compared in order to obtain an enhanced content of total flavonoid, total phenolic compounds and rosmarinic acid from the Satureja hortensis L. (Summer savory) herb. Different mixtures of ethanol-water ratio were used for extraction of these compounds from dry plant material. High level of total flavonoid content was determined for a solvent system consisted of 40% respectively 50% ethanol (extraction systems ES6 and ES5) while the most efficient techniques were normal refluxing (R) and ultrasound-assisted extraction when sweep mode (UAE1) was selected. For the same solvent systems (ES6 and ES5), a high content of total phenolic compounds was determined when the normal refluxing (R) and microwave-assisted extraction (MAE1, with a duty coefficient of 40% and microwave action time1 min) were used for the extraction procedure. For the rosmarinic acid extraction, the maceration technique (M) combined with an ethanol-water system consisted of 60% ethanol (ES4) was found as the most efficient procedure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the present study was to obtain an oil/water (O/W) nanoemulsion (NE) containing garden savory ( Satureja hortensis ) essential oil (EO) and evaluating its herbicidal activity against Amaranthus retroflexus and Chenopodium album . Gas chromatography (GC) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) were employed to determine the chemical composition of the EO. Carvacrol (55.6%) and γ-terpinene (31.9%) were the major EO components. Low energy method was applied, allowing achievement of EO nanodroplets. The NE also presented low polydispersity, and the mean droplet was below 130 nm even after storage for 30 d. Laboratory tests showed that the NE at different concentrations (100, 200, 400, 800, and 1000 μ L . L − 1 ) significantly (P≤0.05) reduced the germination indices and the seedling's growth in dose-response. The inhibitory effect was the greatest at 800 μ L . L − 1 NE. Overall, root length was more inhibited as compared to shoot length. Post-emergence application of NE at different concentrations (1000, 2000, 3000, 4000 and 5000 μ L . L − 1 of EO) on 2–4 true leaves' stage of the weeds caused significant (P≤0.05) decrease in the growth factors in dose-dependent manner. Complete lethality was observed by 4000 μ L . L − 1 NE sprayed on the weeds. Spraying of NE significantly (P≤0.05) reduced chlorophyll content in the tested weeds. Increasing in relative electrolyte leakage (REL) 1 and 5 d after treatment represented significant cell membrane disruption and increased cell membrane permeability. Transmission electron microscope (TEM) pictures confirmed NE droplet size and demonstrated membrane destruction. The study approved that the NE of S. hortensis EO has herbicidal properties as it has high phytotoxic effect, and interferes with the germination, growth and physiological processes of the weeds. The production of NE from S. hortensis EO is a low energy method that offers a promising practical natural herbicide for weed control in organic agricultural systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The total phenols contents and individual polyphenols in alcoholic extractive solutions of spinach (Spinacia oleracea), common nettle (Urtica dioica), rocket salad /arugula (Eruca sativa), common dandelion (Taraxacum officinale), parsley (Petroselinum crispum), lovage (Levisticum officinale), mint (Mentha piperita), summer savory/satureja (Satureja hortensis) were examined using Folin-Ciocalteu method and an adapted USP30 HPLC method, respectively. The highest concentration in total phenols was registered for lovage (6860.82 mg GAE/100 g f.w.) and rocket salad (620.41 mg GAE/100 g f.w.).HPLC -- DAD analysis indicate the presence of nine individual polyphenolic compounds in different concentrations: gallic acid exists in all studied herbs in variable concentrations, from 13.13 mg/100 g f.w.in spinach to 420.02 mg/100g f.w. in rocket salad; ellagic acid in four herbs from 42.71 mg/100 g f.w. in common dandelion to 632.42 mg/100g f.w. in lovage; chlorogenic acid in four herbs from 0.44 mg/100 g f.w. in common nettle to 4.17 mg/100 g f.w. in mint; caffeic, caftaric, coumaric, ferulic, 3-o-methyl-gallic acids were determined in small amounts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study there were evaluated total phenolic and flavonoid contents, and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) of 3 herbs species, that are commonly used in fresh stage (summer savory – Satureja hortensis L., marjoram – Majorana hortensis M. and thyme – Thymus vulgaris L.) in dependence on time of harvest. The total flavonoid content ranged from 2.36 to 4.10 g of catechin equivalents (CE).100g−1 of dry weight (dw) of plant material. The highest average total flavonoids content was ascertained in aerial part of summer savory colected in first harvest (4.10 g CE.100g−1 dw) and the lowest in aerial part of summer savory collected in third harvest (2.36 g CE.100g−1 dw). The highest total flavonoid content was measured by all tested species in plant material harvested in first time of harvest. The highest total phenolic content was estimated in plant material of marjoram harvested in the second time of harvest (6.74 g gallic acid equivalents (GAE).100g−1 dw) and the lowest in aerial part of summer savory harvested in the third time of harvest (4.16 g GAE .100g−1 dw). Ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) ranged from 1,13 (summer savory, harvest No. 3) to 1.91 g GAE .100g−1 dw (thyme, harvest No. 1). The best results of total flavonoid content, total phenolic content and FRAP were obtained by marjoram. Among harvest times there were the highest contents of measured compound mainly by the samples collected in the first time of harvest.

The present work reports the in vitro antimicrobial activities of the essential oil and methanol extract from Satureja hortensis as well as the content of its essential oil. The chemical composition of hydrodistilled essential oil of Satureja hortensis was analysed by means of GC-MS. Thirty constituents were identified. The main constituents of the oil were thymol (40.54%), γ-terpinene (18.56%), carvacrol (13.98%), and p-cymene (8.97). The essential oil of Satureja hortensis exhibited the activity against 25 bacteria, 8 fungi, and a yeast, C. albicans; exerting the Minimum Inhibitory Concentration values (MIC) ranging from 15.62 to 250 µl/ml. Similarly, methanol extract of the plant also showed antimicrobial activity.

Intercropping, or the use of different aspects of the interaction between organisms in ecosystems, can be classified as an ecological method that limits harmful human interference in the environment, especially the consumption of chemicals. The impact of intercropping carrot with coriander Coriandrum sativum L. and summer savory Satureja hortensis L. on the occurrence of select carrot pests was estimated in the years 2010-2011. Intercropping had a significant effect on the decrease of the number of roots damaged by carrot rust fly Psila rosae. During harvest, the least number of damaged roots was observed in combination with summer savory S. hortensis L. The number of carrot psyllid Trioza viridula Zett. and aphids on carrot leaves and roots damaged by nematodes was significantly lower on plots where carrot was intercropped. Intercropping both herbs had a positive influence on the number of beneficial insects. In all of the years of the study, the highest number of Coccinellidae and Syrphidae were observed on plots where carrot was intercropped with coriander. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Higher UV irradiation may affect the structure of ecosystems directly or indirectly. In the present work, Satureja hortensis L. defence mechanisms against UV stress was studied with or without salicylic acid (SA). For this aim, a factorial based experimental was conducted on completely randomized design with three UV treatments (control, UV-B and UV-C) as first factor and two SA levels (0 and 1 mM) as second factor. The results showed UV-B and C decreased shoot dry weight, plant height (PH), node number (NN), inter-node distance (IND), root length (RL), leaf area index (LAI) and chlorophyll content, but increased stem diameter (SD), leaf thickness (LTh), total flavonoid content (TFC), total phenolic content (TFC) and antioxidant activity. Plants treated with SA (1 mM) showed higher growth factors than non-treated one. It seems that SA can be used as an alternative substance against UV stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Regarding the anticonvulsant effects of Satureja hortensis (S . hortensis) in Avicenna's book: canon of medicine; the present study was undertaken to evaluate the anti- eplileptic effects of S . hortensis aqueous and ethanolic aerial part extracts. Furthermore, the mechanisms of their anticonvulsant activities were also evaluated. Materials and Methods: Seizure was induced by Pentylentetrazol (PTZ) and MES (maximal electroshock) models. Mice were randomly divided into 8 groups; negative control (normal saline, 10ml/Kg), positive control (diazepam, 2 mg/kg), S. hortensis aqueous and ethanolic extracts (200, 400 and 600 mg/kg). In PTZ test, latency to the first minimal clonic seizure (MCS), latency to the first generalized tonic--clonic seizures (GTCS), the total duration of seizures and protection against mortality were evaluated. In MES test, the stretching length of extremities and protection against mortality were recorded. Results: Aqueous and ethanolic extracts (400 and 600 mg/kg) significantly increased MCS and GTCS latencies in PTZ model. Three doses of the extracts decreased the total duration of seizure. These extracts did not show any protective effects on seizure induced by MES model. In PTZ model, flumazenil, an antagonist of benzodiazepine (BZD) site in the GABAA-BZD receptor complex and 7- nitroindazole (7- NI), a selective nNOS (neuronal nitric oxide synthase) inhibitor, reduced the prolongation of seizure latency. Conclusion: S. hortensis showed anticonvulsant activity in PTZ model and this effect may be mediated, at least partly, through interacting with nitric oxide and GABAA-BZD receptor complex. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chemical-composition/antioxidant-activity of Satureja hortensis L. extract is influenced by many factors including nutrient elements. A factorial completely randomized design greenhouse experiment was conducted to study the effect of three levels of soil-applied iron, Fe (0, 8 and 16mg kg-1 soil as ethylene-di-amine-die-hydroxyl-acetic-acid, FeEDDHA) and three levels of sulfur, S (0, 50 and 100mg kg-1 soil as elemental-S) on monoterpene production and antioxidant activity of Satureja hortensis L. The maximum (377.75 mg/L) and minimum (720.406 mg/L) antioxidant activity were obtained with 8mg Fe+100mg S treatment and control, respectively. The main oil constituents in control were γ-terpinene(67%), α-terpinene(11%), myrcene (4%), α-thujene (4%), p-cymene (4%), α-pinene (3%) and carvacrol (2%). The maximum content of α-thujene, α-pinene, myrcene and α-terpinene was obtained with 8mg Fe+50mg S application whereas the control was suitable for obtaining γ-terpinene. Carvacrol was mainly produced with addition of 16mg Fe+100mg S. Furthermore, the α-thujene, α-pinene, myrcene and α-terpinene contents increased with application of 8mg Fe+50mg S.The α-terpinene, myrcene, α-thujene and α-pinene increased by 13, 27, 21 and 43% compared to control, respectively when 8mg Fe+50mg S was applied. The entire component of monoterpenoid fraction with the major constituent of γ-terpinene, α-terpinene, myrcene, α-thujene, p-cymene, α-pinene and carvacrol that constitutes 99.9% of essential oil showed a same trend whereas identified sesquiterpenes and sesquiterpenoid components were relatively low (0.1%). The low molecular weight of γ-terpinene decreased as 8mg Fe+50mg S was applied. In general, it could be concluded that application of 8mg Fe+50mg S kg-1 was the most suitable treatment for obtaining higher amounts of α-terpinene, myrcene, α-thujene and α-pinene whereas addition of 16mg Fe+100mg S kg-1 was preferable for obtaining carvacrol. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Satureja hortensis L., (summer savory) is a well-known herbaceous aromatic medicinal plant. It is traditionally used as carminative, digestive as well as an anti-spasmodic and antitussive drug. This study was conducted at the experimental farm of the National Research Center, Dokki, Cairo, Egypt during two successive seasons to evaluate the influence of the sundfloura fertilizer as a source of NPK and AT-amino as a source of amino acids in plants sown on two sowing dates (20 November and 20 February). The highest values for all parameters tested (fresh and dry herb, essential oil content and its constituents) were obtained in plants sown on the second sowing date. NPK and amino acids had a pronounced effect on these characters. The main constituents of the essential oil were γ-terpinene (31.5 - 46.08%), carvacrol (23.71 - 51.22%), and p-cymene (2.81 - 14.92%). All treatments affected significantly the essential oil constituents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Satureja hortensis L. unifloral honey was characterized by pollen analysis, electrical conductivity, pH and extensively by chromatographic and spectroscopic techniques. UV / VIS spectroscopy measurements revealed total phenol content of 682.1 mg GAE / kg by Folin-Ciocalteu assay, antioxidant capacity by DPPH assay of 1.7 mmol TEAC / kg and by FRAP assay of 4.3 mmol Fe2+ / kg as well as CIE L*a*b*Cab*h°ab chromaticity coordinates. GC-MS after headspace solid-phase microextraction (HSSPME) revealed hotrienol (22.8 %) along with other linalool derivatives, benzaldehyde (6.1 %), phenylacetaldehyde (4.9 %) and few norisoprenoids (safranal (7.6 %) as the major). Ultrasonic solvent extraction (USE) followed by GC-MS allowed identification of methyl syringate (54.7 %) as predominant compound along with other benzene derivatives. HPLC-DAD analysis determined tyrosine (382.0 mg kg-1), phenylalanine (140.4 mg kg-1) and methyl syringate (39.32 mg kg-1). Methyl syringate and hotrienol can be considered non-specific chemical markers of S. hortensis honey. FTIR-ATR spectral characteristics of S. hortensis honey in fingerprinting region were not significantly different from other honey types, but the integrated intensity of the region was smaller than in other unifloral honeys. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Considering the wide consumption of some synthetic antioxidants and their probable negative health effects, in this study, the protective effects of Satureja hortensis L. extracts in stabilizing soybean oil against oxidation at different concentrations (200 and 400 ppm) were tested. Methods: The aerial parts of S. hortensis L. were collected from Isfahan province and extracted with 100 ml methanol and ethanol. Soybean oil was selected due to its unsaturated fatty acids variety. Antioxidant activity of the extract was evaluated using 2, 2-diphenyl-1- picrylhydrazyl test. A β-carotene-linoleic acid assay was also applied for the antioxidant capacity. Total phenolic and flavonoid content, peroxide value and thiobarbituricacid-reactive substances (TBARs) were measured for the soybean oil samples. Experiments were carried out in triplicates and data were processed with ANOVA test by SPSS software (16.0). Results: S. hortensis L. extracts had significantly (p⩽0.05) lower peroxide and thiobarbituric acid value of samples during storage at 60 °C. The half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) values for methanol and ethanol extracts were 31.5±0.7 and 37±0 μg/ml, respectively. In the β-carotene/linoleic acid system, methanol and ethanol extracts exhibited 87.5%±1.41 and 74%±2.25 inhibitions against linoleic acid oxidation. The total phenolic and flavonoid contents of methanol and ethanol extracts were (101.58±0.26 mg/g) and (96±0.027 mg/g), (44.91±0.14 mg/g) and (14.3±0.12 mg/g) expressed in gallic acid and quercetin equivalents, respectively. Conclusion: Methanol and ethanol extracts of S. hortensis could be prepared and added to the commercial vegetable oils as natural antioxidant and so they may be suitable alternative for some synthetic antioxidants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Satureja hortensis is a popular herb in most regions of the world with leaves used as seasoning. Evidence shows that this plant contains phenolic components such as thymol and carvacrol with a relatively wide spectrum of antimicrobial activity. This study aimed at evaluating the efficacy of S. hortensis plant powder as an alternative to antimicrobial growth promoters in broiler diets. The plant was bought in sufficient quantity from the district of Yasouj, Iran and was dried and ground into powder. A total of 140 unsexed 1-day-old Arbor Acers breed broiler chicks were housed and fed a starter diet up to 18 days of age. The birds were then randomly divided into two groups and reared under similar conditions. Chickens received either normal grower (from 18 to 35 days of age) and finisher (from 36 to 50 days of age) diets without S. hortensis (group I) or a similar diet containing one percent plant powder (group II). Statistical comparison of average body weights at various time intervals showed that chickens in group II (1930 ± 29 g, n=63) were significantly (P<0.05) heavier than the birds in the control group (1837 ± 25 g, n=62). The average body weight of males in each group (2075 ± 42 g, n=20 and 2143 ± 40 g, n=22 for groups I and II, respectively) was also greater than those of the females (1724 ± 34 g, n=42 and 1808 ± 30 g, n=41 for groups I and II, respectively). Although feed conversion ratio was slightly less in group II (1.95), it was not substantially different from that in group I (2.02). It is concluded that S. hortensis might be a potential growth promoter in poultry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thyme (Satureja hortensis) is a popular spice for food, which is also often used as a medicine for various ailments. This paper presents an artificial intelligence method applied for the objective determination of the most important physico-chemical variables affecting the quality of thyme, i.e. Principal Component Analysis (PCA). The results show that the main properties which significantly influence the nutritional value of thyme are moisture (MOIST), dry matter content (DRYM), protein content (PROT) and, to a lesser extent, carbohydrate content (CARB). Humidity is strongly and negatively correlated with the latter three variables. The main variable that ensures the similarity between the thyme samples having the same geographical origin is the monosodium glutamate content, which generates its delicious (umami) taste. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cutaneous wounds are often superinfected during the healing process and this leads to prolonged convalescence and discomfort. Usage of suitable wound dressings is very important for an appropriate wound care leading to a correct healing. The aim of this study was to demonstrate the influence of a nano-coated wound dressing (WD) on Candida albicans colonization rate and biofilm formation. The modified WD was achieved by submerging the dressing pieces into a nanofluid composed of functionalized magnetite nanoparticles and Satureja hortensis (SO) essential oil (EO). Chemical composition of the EO was established by GC-MS. The fabricated nanostructure was characterized by X-ray Diffraction (XRD), Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), Differential Thermal Analysis (DTA) and Fourier Transform-Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR). The analysis of the colonized surfaces using (Scanning Electron Microscopy) SEM revealed that C. albicans adherence and subsequent biofilm development are strongly inhibited on the surface of wound dressing fibers coated with the obtained nanofluid, comparing with regular uncoated materials. The results were also confirmed by the assay of the viable fungal cells embedded in the biofilm. Our data demonstrate that the obtained phytonanocoating improve the resistance of wound dressing surface to C. albicans colonization, which is often an etiological cause of local infections, impairing the appropriate wound healing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study aims to establish if the packages based on paper or LDPE modified with extract of thyme and garlic are efficient in preserving the summer salame during storage, as compared with the unmodified packages. Eight different types of packages based on paper or LDPE impregnated in the aqueous extracts of thyme and garlic were prepared and used to test their preservation activity during the storage of the summer salame, a Romanian meat product, at room temperature and light. The eight types of packages are as follows: product impregnated in extract of thyme (IP thyme) and garlic (IP garlic), summer salame packaged in unmodified paper (H) and LDPE (LDPE), summer salame packaged in paper impregnated in extract of thyme (IH thyme) and in extract of garlic (IH garlic), summer salame packaged in LDPE impregnated in extract of thyme (ILDPE thyme) and in extract of garlic (ILDPE garlic). At 0, 3 and 6 days, the following physico-chemical parameters were monitored during storage: acidity, pH, water, salt and protein content. Additionally, the changes of the organoleptic characteristics were established. It was observed that the most reduced decrease of the acidity and protein content during storage occured in the summer salame impregnated in the thyme extract and in the salame packaged in the paper impregnated in the garlic extract. Moreover, the organoleptic characteristics of the samples impregnated in the thyme and garlic extract, excepting those in packages based on LDPE were not significantly changed during storage, at room temperature and under light. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Effects of treatments with Satureja hortensis essential oils and H2O2 were evaluated in plants testing positive after Potato virus Y (PVY) infection, under drought conditions. In vitro PVY infected and uninfected plants were transfered to a greenhouse, injected with a Satureja hortensis essential oils suspension and sprayed twice a week with H2O2 (1 mM, pH 5.6). The treatments enhanced minitubers weight and starch content in PVY infected plants. Under drought conditions, minitubers produced by infected and treated plants had significantly more starch than the controls. The treatments had positive effects on infected minitubers, such as weight, reduction of number, starch content, sprouting and tolerance to drought. A signal role for Satureja hortensis essential oils and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) in lessenning symptoms is suggested. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects of Satureja hortensis seed extracts and to analyze their essential oil constituents. Materials and Methods: Hydroalcoholic and polyphenolic extracts and essential oil of S. hortensis seeds were prepared using standard methods. Analgesic activity was assessed in male mice (25-35 g) using standard methods (acetic acid and formalin tests). For the evaluation of anti-inflammatory activity, the carrageenan-induced rat paw edema test was used. The mice were pretreated with 50, 100 or 200 mg/kg, i.p., hydroalcoholic or polyphenolic extracts or 100 or 200 μl/kg, p.o. Results: Hydrodistillation of the seeds of S. hortensis afforded a pale yellowish oil in a yield of 0.05% (v/w). Pretreatment of mice with hydroalcoholic or polyphenolic extracts or essential oil significantly (p < 0.001) reduced acetic acid-induced abdominal twitches. Hydroalcoholic extracts also significantly reduced pain responses in early and late phases of the formalin test whereas the polyphenolic extract and essential oil were only effective in the late phase of the formalin test. All three fractions were found to reduce paw edema in the carrageenan test. Conclusion: These results clearly demonstrate the analgesic and anti-inflammatory activity of S. hortensis seeds and since the hydroalcoholic extract relieved pain in the first phase of the formalin test, it seems that at least part of its analgesic activity may be mediated centrally. The results of this study substantiated the traditional use of S. hortensis plant seeds in painful and inflammatory ailments. Copyright © 2011 S. Karger AG, Basel [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]