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Coating seeds with biostimulants is among the promising approaches in crop production to increase crop tolerance to drought stress. In this study, we evaluated the potential of coating durum wheat seeds of the cultivar ‘Karim’ with thyme essential oil on enhancing seed germination and seedling growth, and on plant growth promotion and induction of drought resistance. Coated seeds were pre-germinated, grown in hydroponics, and grown in pots under controlled well-watered and progressive water/nutrient stress conditions. Seed coating with thyme oil increased germination rate and enhanced seedling growth development in hydroponics. In the pot experiment, thyme oil increased, when well watered, root and shoot development, chlorophyll, nitrogen balance index (NBI), abscisic acid (ABA), anthocyanins and flavonoids in leaves, decreased nitrogen isotope composition (δ15N) and increased carbon isotope composition (δ13C) of shoots. Increasing water/nutrient stress in control plants induced higher accumulation of ABA and anthocyanins coupled with a transient decrease in chlorophyll and NBI, a decrease in shoot and root development, the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), shoot C content, δ15N, and an increase in δ13C, revealing the avoidance strategy adopted by the cultivar. Thyme oil had the potential to enhance the avoidance strategy by inducing roots elongation, reducing the loss of shoot and roots dry matter and chlorophyll, maintaining balanced NBI, an decreasing anthocyanins, flavonoids, and δ13C via maintaining lower ABA-mediated-stomatal closure. Thyme oil increased shoot N content and δ15N indicating preferential uptake of the 15N enriched NH4+. Coating seeds with thyme oil is suggested as a promising alternative approach to improve plant’s water and nutrient status and to enhance drought resistance.

The main objectives of this study were to investigate the antifungal activity of thyme essential oil ( Thymus zygis ) in-vitro and to validate its activity in par-baked wheat and sourdough bread ( in-vivo ) using the fungal strains Aspergillus niger and Penicillium paneum . The impact of thyme oil was evaluated in-vitro with the macro-dilution method with modified pH (4.8, 5.0, 5.5 & 6.0), a w (0.95 & 0.97) and temperature (22 & 30 °C) to mimic the conditions of wheat and sourdough par-baked bread stored at room temperature. Furthermore, the oil was applied in par-baked bread (0, 15 and 30 g sourdough/100 g dough). Challenge and shelf-life tests were performed to investigate the biopreservative potential of thyme oil in par-baked wheat and sourdough bread. Despite the promising in-vitro potential of thyme oil, no clear shelf-life extension was observed for par-baked bread which could be attributed to the oil. More research on food applications of essential oils is necessary to give the abundance of in-vitro studies industrial relevance. The use of sourdough, on the contrary, resulted in much more promising shelf-life extending properties. In both in-vitro as in-vivo assays, pH and a w showed no significant effect on fungal growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Aim: Various chemical solutions have been recommended for denture disinfection; however, the immersion effect on the properties of denture base resin may also have effect on strength of the resin material. The purpose of this in vitro study was to compare and evaluate the flexural strength of heat-cure acrylic denture base resin by combination method of denture cleansing and plant extract immersion. Materials and Methods: In this study, ninety specimens of heat-cure acrylic denture base resin material were fabricated with dimensions of 65 mm × 10 mm × 3.3 mm. The specimens were divided into three groups, namely, Group I-III of thirty specimens each and were immersed in distilled water, denture cleanser, and thyme essential oil, respectively. The flexural strength of specimen was evaluated. Results: Natural plant extract showed better flexural strength than immersed in denture cleanser and control group but statistically was not significant. Conclusion: The study concluded that plant extract, namely, thyme essential oil, showed better flexural strength than combination method and can be used as denture cleanser. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effects of anchovy by-product protein coatings incorporated with thyme essential oil (TEO) on the shelf life of anchovy ( Engraulis encrasicolus L.) fillets stored at 4 ± 1 °C were investigated. We grouped fillets in three categories: untreated fillets, fillets treated in coating solution alone, and fillets treated in coating solution containing 1.5% TEO and analyzed on 0, 3, 6, and 9 days of storage. It was observed that the total volatile basic nitrogen (TVB-N) and pH of all the fillet groups increased under cold storage conditions; however, this increase was much slow in both the coated anchovy fillets. Both coating applications slowed down the lipid oxidation but the coating containing TEO exhibited better effect than coating alone. The coating application alone or with essential oil had limited effect on microbial growth but positively affected the sensory quality. These results revealed that anchovy by-product protein coating mixed with TEO may prolong anchovy fillets' shelf life stored under cold condition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the antimicrobial and antioxidant properties of thyme (TEO), rosemary (REO) and laurel essential oils (LEO) and their mixtures (TEO/REO, TEO/LEO, REO/LEO, 1/1, v/v and TEO/REO/LEO, v/v/v, 1/1/1) were investigated. The antimicrobial activity was measured by the agar well diffusion method, while antioxidant capacity was measured using the FRAP and DPPH scavenging activity methods. All essential oils and their mixtures showed antimicrobial activity and antioxidant capacity. The highest antimicrobial activity against S. aureus, E. coli O157:H7 and L. monocytogenes was determined in TEO with zone diameters of 39.33, 28.00 and 30.67 mm, respectively. In general, essential oil mixtures negatively affected the antimicrobial activity compared to essential oils alone, and E. coli O157:H7 was less sensitive to the inhibitory activity of essential oils and their mixtures than S. aureus and L. monocytogenes. The FRAP values of all essential oils and mixtures ranged from 3.67 (REO) to 40.30 mg/mL (LEO), while the DPPH scavenging activity values ranged from 21.31 (REO) to 89.48% (TEO/LEO). These results suggest that essential oils obtained from thyme, rosemary, laurel and their mixtures have potential to be used as natural antimicrobial and antioxidant agents in the food industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many natural antimicrobial agents have been identified over the last decades, such as essential oils, which have a proven effect against bacteria and fungi found on feet. This paper investigates antifungal activity of thyme essential oil against Trichophyton interdigitale on sheepskins for footwear lining. Thyme essential oil showed the best antifungal activity on sheepskins for footwear lining. Thyme oil offers a much safer alternative to toxic biocides. The results of this study may have potential for use in the development of applications in the sanitation of footwear components. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Halloysite nanotubes (HNTs), which are natural nanomaterials, have a hollow tubular structure with about 15 nm inner and 50 nm outer diameters. Because of their tubular shape, HNTs loaded with various materials have been investigated as functional nanocapsules. In this study, thyme essential oil (TO) was encapsulated successfully in HNTs using vacuum pulling methods, followed by end-capping or a layer-by-layer surface coating process for complete encapsulation. Nanocapsules loaded with TO were mixed with flexographic ink and coated on a paper for applications as food packaging materials. Scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy were used to characterize the morphology of the nanocapsules and to confirm the TO loading of the nanocapsules. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and thermogravimetric analyses analysis were used to complement the structural information. In addition, the controlled release of TO from the nanocapsules showed sustained release properties over a period of many days. The results reveal that the release properties of TO in these nanocapsules could be controlled by surface modifications such as end-capping and/or surface coating of bare nanocapsules. The packaging paper with TO-loaded HNT capsules was effective in eliminating against Escherichia coli during the first 5 d and showed strong antibacterial activity for about 10 d. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inhibitory effects of soy-protein edible coatings incorporated with 1, 2, or 3% of thyme or oregano essential oils (EOs) were determined against Escherichia coli O157:H7 (EC), Listeria monocytogenes (LM), and Staphylococcus aureus (SA) in vitro and on fresh beef during refrigerated storage for 14 days. The soy-protein coatings with oregano and thyme EOs exhibited similar antimicrobial activity against the test bacteria. Greater antimicrobial activity of soy edible coatings was demonstrated against SA when 3% of EOs were added. Coatings with 3% thyme and oregano EOs exhibited 2.86 and 2.59, 1.97 and 1.90, and 1.87 and 1.83 log CFU/g reductions in SA, LM, and EC populations, respectively, as compared with the control by Day 14. This study demonstrated that application of edible coatings containing oregano and thyme EOs on fresh beef cuts could have a potential for controlling pathogenic bacteria and enhancing color stability with acceptable sensory characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

β-cyclodextrin(CD) was incorporated in cotton fabric following pad-dry-cure technique employing maleic anhydride as modifying agent under the dual influence of free radical polymerization catalyst ammonium peroxodisulfate [(NH4)2S2O8] and esterification catalyst tetrasodium pyrophosphate (Na4P2O7). β-cyclodextrin(CD) can be esterified if treated with maleic anhydride (an unsaturated dicarboxylic acid) due to the presence of hydroxyl groups in β-cyclodextrins and also such compound can form inclusion complex with essential oils. The retention of essential oil and its sustained release after repeated post wash treatments was determined quantitatively by UV-vis spectrophotometry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this present study, antibacterial effects of soy protein edible coatings incorporated with different concentrations (1, 2, 3, 4 or 5%) of essential oils from oregano (Oreganum heracleoticum L.) or thyme (Thymus vulgaris L.) essential oils (EOs) were determined against Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella Enteritidis and Bacillus cereus. Oregano and thyme essential oils showed inhibition against all test organisms even at minimum concentration (1.0%) applied into the film formulation. Soy protein coating solution without addition of essential oil had no inhibitory effect against none of the pathogenic bacteria tested. Data from antibacterial activity test reveal that soy protein films without addition of essential oil had no inhibitory effect against none of the pathogenic bacteria tested. Greater antimicrobial activity of soy edible films containing essential oils was demonstrated against S. Enteritidis followed by L. monocytogenes and B. cereus. The results of this study indicated that the oregano or thyme incorporated soy protein edible films could be a promising application for control of pathogens in food. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Essential oils (EOs) are widely used as natural preservatives in foods to control lipid oxidation and spoilage by microorganisms. In this study nanocochleates (NCs), based on phosphatidylcholine, cholesterol and calcium ions were loaded with 1 mg or 0.5 mg/100 ml of TEO and fully characterised. Particle size of TEO NCs were ca. 250 nm and 210 nm, respectively, and all were negatively charged. Thymol and carvacrol encapsulation efficiencies were, 46.3 ± 0.01 and 50.9 ± 0.02 respectively, using 1 mg/ml of TEO. In vitro release studies of thymol and carvacrol indicated a steady release in the first h and after 6 h ca 41% and 31% for thymol and carvacrol were released. Free TEO showed a strong antioxidant activity (75.2%) at the concentration of 1 mg/ml and also TEO-loaded NCs maintained this high scavenging activity (72.2%), indicating that this innovative formulation was able to preserve the antioxidant activity of TEO constituents. Nanochocleates could represent an innovative, completely biodegradable approach for the prolonged and sustained release of the EO, preserving functional properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effects of the addition of nitrite at 200 ppm (N), sodium lactate 1.5% (L) and thyme essential oil at 100 ppm (T1) on Listeria monocytogenes behaviour and ATPase activity inhibition were evaluated, as well as lipid oxidation through the quantification of malonaldehydes, in sausage stored at 8 ℃ for 41 days and at 30 ℃ for 14 days. The changes in the colour profile were performed during storage time at 8 ℃. Quantitative descriptive sensory analyses were performed after two days at 4 ℃. At 8 ℃, the treatments with the highest inhibition on L. monocytogenes were L and N, without significant differences. In turn, at 30 ℃, the bacterium was most inhibited with treatment L, followed by T1 and N, without significant differences. A 44.1% and 19% inhibition of ATPase activity was detected in L and T1 treatments, respectively. At 8 ℃ and 30 ℃, malonaldehydes content was not different between the treatments. N presented the highest values of a* and concentration of metmyoglobin after 41 days at 8 ℃. The panel detected differences between T1 and N for the aroma in the descriptors spices and herbal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The antifungal and mycotoxin inhibitory activity of emulsions formed with Thymus vulgaris L. essential oil (thyme oil) and four major components (thymol, p-cymene, γ-terpinene, and linalool) on Fusarium graminearum, and their corresponding mode of action (MOA) were evaluated in this study. Among the five emulsions, thymol emulsion presented the strongest antifungal activity followed by thyme oil and linalool emulsion. The spore morphology changes and cell membrane destruction were the main reasons attributed to it supported by the SEM and CLSM observation. Moreover, significant (p< 0.05) suppression on mycotoxin inhibition were achieved by all five emulsions. We also noticed that the antifungal activity and the mycotoxin inhibitory were not always correlated. Linalool appeared to be a more effective spore germination inhibitor, while p-cymene and γ-terpinene decreased mycotoxin production more effectively. We further investigated the MOA of thyme oil and thymol emulsions on suppression of mycotoxin production on generic level. We observed that thyme oil significantly (p< 0.05) up-regulated the expression of the key encoding genes in mycotoxin biosynthesis pathway that were studied (Tri 3, Tri 4, and Tri 5), while thymol did not up-regulate any gene expression. [Display omitted] • Physically stable emulsions of thyme, thymol, linalool, p-cymene and γ-terpinene were fabricated. • Thymol emulsion showed the strongest antifungal and mycotoxin inhibitory efficacy. • Thyme and thymol could increase the permeability of fungal cytoplasmic membrane. • linalool was more effective on inhibition of spore germination than mycotoxin production. • Interestingly, thyme oil emulsion significantly up-regulated the Tri genes expression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To evaluate and compare the efficacy of two plant extracts and two commercially available denture cleansers against candida albicans adherent to soft denture reline material. Materials and Methods: In this study 60 specimens of soft denture reliner material specimens were fabricated with dimensions 10x10x2 mm. The sterile specimens were inoculated by immersion in Sabourand broth containing Candida albicans for 16 hours at 37°C in an incubator. Then the specimens were washed and immersed in denture cleansers which were divided into group five groups from Group I-V for CD Clean®, Nigella sativa, thyme essential oil, Fittydent® and distilled water respectively, for 8 hours at room temperature. Then they were washed, fixed with methanol and stained with crystal violet. Candida cells adherent to the specimens were counted under microscope. The number of cells adherent to test samples were compared with that adherent to control. Results: The effectiveness of Fittydent® was more than CD Clean® in reducing the adherent candida albicans and the difference was statically significant (p =

The ban on the use of antibiotics as growth promoters has stimulated the search for alternative feed supplements in poultry production. The active principles of thyme essential oil act as a digestibility enhancer, balancing the gut microbial ecosystem and stimulating the secretion of endogenous digestive enzymes and thus improving growth performance in poultry (Lovkova et al., 2001; Williams and Losa, 2001). A study was performed to investigate the effects of thyme essential oil (TEO) on performance, carcass characteristics, some blood parameters and ileal microflora of Japanese quail. This study lasted 35 days of age. One hundred and fifty day-old male Japanese quail chicks in a completely randomized design with two treatments (with or without 1 g/kg TEO) and five replicates of 15 birds each were used. All parameters were measured at the end of the experiment. The supplementation of TEO significantly (P

The experiment was designed to investigate the effects of feed supplementation with essential oils on egg weight and body mass of laying hens. Hens of the laying breed Isa Brown were randomly divided at the day of hatching into 3 groups (n=26) and fed for 45 weeks on diets which differed in kind of essential oil supplemented. Hens were fed from day 1 by the standard feed mixture. Laying hens accepted fodder ad libitum. In the control group hens took feed mixture without additions, in the first experimental group the feed mixture was supplemented with 0.25 ml/kg thyme essential oil and in the second one hens got hyssop essential oil in the same dose of 0.25 ml/kg. The housing system satisfied enriched cage requirements specified by the Directive 1999/74 EC. The useful area provided for one laying hen presented 943.2 cm2. The equipment of cage consisted of roosts, place for rooting in ashes – synthetic grass, nest and equipment for shortening of clutches. The results showed that the average body weight for a rearing period was in order groups: 736.15±523.49; 747.20±541.6 and 721.95±522.57 (g±SD). Differences between groups were not significant (P>0.05). The average body weight during the laying period was 1763.85±171.46; 1786.08±192.09 and 1729.73±129.12 g for control, thyme oil and hyssop oil supplementation respectively. During the laying period there were significant differences in body weight between control and experimental group with hyssop essential oil supplementation (P0.05) in egg weight (58.36±4.91; 58.82±4.95 and 58.26±5.33 g respectively).

Essential oils are aromatic oily liquids obtained from plant material (flowers, buds, seeds, leaves, twigs, bark, herbs, wood, fruits and roots). Besides antibacterial properties, essential oils or their components have been shown to exhibit antiviral, antimycotic, antitoxigenic, antiparasitic, and insecticidal properties. In this experiment the effects of supplementation of the diet for laying hens with thyme and hyssop essential oils on physical and microbiological egg parameters were studied. Hens of laying hybrid ISA Brown (n = 72) were randomly divided at the day of hatching into 3 groups (n = 26) and fed for 41 weeks on diets which differed in kind of essential oil supplemented. In the first ex­pe­ri­men­tal group the feed mixture was supplemented with thyme essential oil addition 0.25ml . kg−1, in the second one got hyssop essential oil the same dose of 0.25ml . kg−1. The results suggest that the supplementation of thyme essential oil into laying hens diet statistically significantly increased egg albumen weight, egg albumen percentage portion (P < 0.05) and egg yolk colour (9.07a, 9.47b, 9.06a; P < 0.01), compared to the control group and decreased egg yolk percentage ratio. However, the most of qualitative parameters of internal content egg were not with thyme and hyssop essential oils addition significantly influenced. Significant differences in microbiological indicators were found among coliforms bacteria, enterococci, total number count (P < 0.001), lactobacilli and mesophilic sporulating aerobes bacteria (P < 0.05).

In this study, some properties and antioxidant capacity of anchovy (Engraulis encrasicholus) by-product protein films with added 0.5, 1.0 and 1.5 % of thyme essential oil were investigated. The films with thyme essential oil had higher elongation at break, water vapour permeability and oxygen permeability, lower solubility and tensile strength than control film (p<0.05). The incorporation of thyme essential oil affected transparency values of the films, but only the addition of 1.5 % of thyme essential oil significantly reduced the transparency (p<0.05). In the film matrix, molecular organisation and intermolecular interaction were changed by thyme essential oil addition. The films with thyme essential oil had a heterogeneous surface and a relatively smooth cross-section structure. Slightly higher phase transition and lower glass transition temperatures were observed in films with thyme essential oil. The antioxidant capacity of the films was improved by incorporating thyme essential oil depending on its volume fraction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a study which explores the effect of increasing dietary doses of essential oil of Thymus zygis, subspecie, gracilis on intestine inflammatory status in gilthead seabream. The results of the study conclude that thyme essential oil added to gilthead seabream feed had an effect on the frequency of lymphoid aggregates, prospectively related to gut inflammatory status.

In this study, thyme essential oil (TEO) loaded chitosan nanoparticles (CS-NP-TEO) are prepared by a two-step process including oil/water emulsion and ionic gelation. Five batches of burgers were prepared by following formulation: control (without any TEO), F-0.05-TEO (0.05 % of free TEO), F-0.1-TEO (0.1 % of free TEO), E-0.05-TEO (0.05 % of encapsulated TEO), E-0.1-TEO (0.1 % of encapsulated TEO), and AA-0.05 (0.05 % of ascorbic acid). All samples treated with TEO significantly reduced the population of investigated microbial counts ( P < 0.05) compared to the control during 8 days of storage. At the end of storage, E-0.05-TEO and E-0.1-TEO, presented, respectively, 2.2 and 3 log cycles reduction of Enterobacteriaceae, along with 3.1 and 3.7 log cycles reduction of Staphylococcus aureus. Oxymyoglobin content and redness values reduced with the increase of storage time for all samples. However, AA-0.05 and E-0.1-TEO samples were more efficient at inhibiting discoloration in comparison with E-0.05-TEO and burgers treated with free TEO after 6th day of storage. A significant improvement ( P < 0.05) in the reduction of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) amount was found for all TEO treated burgers in comparison to control samples after 8 days chilled storage. According to the results of sensory analyses, F-0.1-TEO and AA-0.05 samples at 4 days and F-0.05-TEO sample at 8 days of storage were rejected by assessors and considered as an unacceptable case. On the basis of our results, the encapsulation of TEO in chitosan nanoparticles may be a promising technology for the control of undesirable microbial, chemical, and sensorial changes in meat products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Our objective was to evaluate, using a full factorial design, the effects of selected water activities (0.990, 0.945, or 0.900), pHs (5, 4, or 3), and thyme essential concentration (TEO, 0, 25, 50, or 100ppm) oil on Penicillium expansum lag time (λ) and radial growth rate (μ m ) obtained by modeling mold response using Gompertz equation, and corresponding polynomial quadratic models. Potato-dextrose agar formulated with every studied factor combination was inoculated with 10 3 spores/ml, and incubated at 25°C up to 30 days. Mold colony diameter was periodically measured during incubation and adjusted with Gompertz equation to determine λ and μ m . Decreasing a w and pH, and increasing TEO concentration decreased μ m and increased λ. At low a w and pH, the increase in TEO concentration had a dramatic effect on P. expansum response since 25ppm of TEO inhibited its growth for 30 days at 25°C. Gompertz parameters exhibited that P. expansum was sensitive to the evaluated combined factors, allowing us to construct a secondary predictive growth model. TEO in combination with a w and pH reduction effectively inhibited P. expansum growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To evaluate and compare the efficacy of two plant extracts and two commercially available denture cleansers against candida albicans adherent to soft denture reline material. Materials and Methods: In this study 60 specimens of soft denture reliner material specimens were fabricated with dimensions 10x10x2 mm. The sterile specimens were inoculated by immersion in Sabourand broth containing Candida albicans for 16 hours at 37°C in an incubator. Then the specimens were washed and immersed in denture cleansers which were divided into group five groups from Group I-V for CD Clean®, Nigella sativa, thyme essential oil, Fittydent® and distilled water respectively, for 8 hours at room temperature. Then they were washed, fixed with methanol and stained with crystal violet. Candida cells adherent to the specimens were counted under microscope. The number of cells adherent to test samples were compared with that adherent to control. Results: The effectiveness of Fittydent® was more than CD Clean® in reducing the adherent candida albicans and the difference was statically significant (p = <0.001). Both thyme essential oil and nigella sativa were almost same in effectiveness against candida albicans but the difference was not statically significant (p= 0.79). Post-hoc Tukey's test was performed which indicated that Fittydent® was the most effective amongst the denture cleansers tested in this study, followed by thyme essential oil, nigella sativa and CD Clean®. Conclusion: The results of the study showed that all denture cleansers used in the study were significantly effective. The study indicated that Fittydent is more effective amongst the denture cleansers because of its mechanism of action; however the plant extracts used in this study were also significantly effective against candida albicans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and objectives: Essential oils (EOs) of medicinal herbs are prone to degradation by oxidation, heating, or light. Encapsulation of EOs can protect these fragile volatile natural products from degradation. Thymus vulgaris (thyme) is a well-known herb which has been used as food additive as well as medicine since ancient times. Electrospraying is a novel technology to encapsulate food and pharmaceutical materials. The aim of this study was to apply electrospray method for encapsulation of thyme essential oil in polymeric capsules. Methods: The thyme essential oil was obtained by hydrodistillation. Ploylactic acid (PLA) capsules, loaded by thyme EO, were synthesized by electrospraying. The applied voltage was set at 18 kV and the flow rate of solution in injector was 0.5 mL/h. Polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) capsules were also prepared. The distance between metal nozzle and collector plate was 25 cm. The solution was injected at the flow rate of 0.5 mL/h and the applied voltage was set at 8 kV. SEM micrographs of the produced micro/nanocapsules were analyzed using image j software. Results: The findings indicated that the mean diameter of PLA capsules were about 162 nm while in the case of PMMA capsules, the mean diameter of fabricated particles was about 5.4 µm. Conclusion: The major conclusion of this study was that the particle size and morphology of synthesized particle was directly affected by the type of polymer utilized for electrospraying.

[Display omitted] • Thyme essential oil (TEO) was encapsulated in sodium caseinate (Na CAS)/gelatin nanocomposite hydrogel. • Oil-loaded Na CAS/Gelatin nanocomposite hydrogel exhibited sustained release pattern compared to free oil. • Oil-loaded Na CAS micelles exerted enhanced antibacterial activity compared to free TEO and resulted in cell membrane disruption and morphological distortion. • Fabricated nanocomposite hydrogel displayed significant in vivo wound healing potential in terms of reduced inflammation and increased re-epithelialization. Essential oils, derived from aromatic plants, exhibit various pharmacological properties. Nevertheless, their clinical applications are confronted by various limitations, such as chemical instability, low aqueous solubility, and poor bioavailability. Nanoencapsulation is one of the approaches that may circumvent these restraints. Accordingly, the present study encapsulated thyme essential oil (TEO) in sodium caseinate (Na CAS) nanomicelles and formulated a gelatin nanocomposite hydrogel, which was investigated as a drug delivery platform for in vitro antibacterial and in vivo wound healing potential. TEO loaded Na CAS nanomicelles showed particle size of 336 ± 17.35 nm, zeta potential of −44.0 mV and EE% of 75 ± 5%. The release profile of TEO loaded nanocomposite hydrogel revealed a sustained release pattern compared to TEO loaded micelles and free oil. The TEO loaded nanomicelles exhibited a significantly higher antibacterial effect than free TEO, as denoted by leakage of alkaline phosphatase and cell membrane disruptions. Furthermore, the TEO loaded nanocomposite hydrogel significantly promoted wound contraction, reduced interleukin-6, and increased transforming growth factor-β1 and vascular endothelial growth factor levels, versus control or blank hydrogel group. Hence, the present study is putting forth the fabricated nanocomposite hydrogel as a multifunctional delivery system for TEO in wound healing applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, thyme essential oil (TEO) nanoemulsion was immobilized within composite films based on almond gum (AG), polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), and chitosan (CS). The physical, mechanical, water barrier, microstructural and antimicrobial properties of composite films were assessed. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis confirmed the intermolecular interactions in the composite film matrix. The results indicated that the incorporation of TEO into the composite films increased thickness, moisture content, and water vapor permeability, while it reduced light transmittance and transparency value. The antimicrobial activity of films against gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria was tested using a disc diffusion method. The effect of composite on the microbiological properties of chicken breast fillets was investigated during refrigerated storage for 21 days. The microbial populations of total mesophilic, psychrotrophic, and lactic acid bacteria of the samples that were coated with the composite containing TEO were lower than the permitted limit after 21 days while for blank samples they were higher than 7 log CFU/g after 7 days which is considered as the maximum acceptable total count limit. Results disclosed that AG/PVA/CS composite films containing TEO nanoemulsion can be applied as eco-friendly active food packaging to enhance the shelf-life of food products., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Herbs, spices and their extracts (botanicals) have a wide range of activities. They may have a beneficial effect on the gastrointestinal micro flora of animals, performance and quality of animal products. In this experiment the effects of supplementation of the diet for laying hens with different doses of thyme or oregano essential oil addition on body weight, feed consumption and egg production were studied. Hens of laying hybrid Hy-Line Brown (n=50) were randomly divided into 5 groups (n=10) and fed for 20 weeks with diets with thyme or oregano essential oil supplemented. In the control group hens received feed mixture with no additions. The diets in the first and second experimental groups were supplemented with 0.5 ml/kg or 1.0 ml/kg thyme essential oil. The diets in the third and fourth experimental groups were supplemented with 0.5 or 1.0 ml/kg oregano essential oil. Average body weight for the whole period was in the order of the groups 1791.2±80.83; 1809.0±66.88; 1742.6±65.43; 1819.1±78.54 and 1803.9±98.00 g (p>0.05). In the feed consumption per feeding day, per egg, or in the feed conversion were observed statistically non-significant differences compared to the control group (p>0.05). Number of eggs per hen during the reporting period was in order of the groups: 135.6; 140.7; 139.1; 137.3 and 138.5 pcs at an average intensity of laying 90.4; 93.80; 92.73; 91.53 and 92.33%. The results suggest that the body weight, feed consumption, feed conversion, egg production, egg mass and egg weight were not significantly influenced with thyme or oregano oil addition (p>0.05). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effect of thyme essential oil ( Thymus zygis, subspecies gracilis) on the quality and shelf life of gilthead seabream was studied, when added to the diet: a control diet and four experimental diets ( T500, T1000, T1500, T2000) with 500, 1000, 1500 and 2000 mg kg−1 of thyme essential oil, respectively. After 12 weeks of experimentation, the fish were stored on ice at 4 °C for 0, 7, 14 and 21 days. Physical-chemical, microbiological and sensory analyses were carried out at each sampling point to determine the degree of deterioration. A dose-dependent effect was observed on the colour, TBARS and total volatile basic nitrogen during the storage. Microbiological counts were lower for Enterobacteriaceae and coliforms at high doses of the essential oil. The sensory analysis showed an effect on the quality index that was not dependent on the dose, which extended the shelf life of gilthead seabream from 17 to 18 days for all doses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Zein has been used successfully for encapsulation of functional foods. Thyme essential oil was encapsulated in zein particles by liquid-liquid dispersion method. Functional properties of thyme essential oil can be enhanced by encapsulation technology. Based on the SEM images, size of the particles was in micron scale. A centrifugation step was applied to separate encapsulated particles during production. This treatment caused some differences in structural and functional properties. The highest encapsulation efficiency value of 97.02 % was achieved at 503 × g for 10 min centrifugation. Interaction time between samples and DPPH radicals was extended by encapsulation. Advantage of encapsulation in terms of antioxidant actions was highlighted by Rancimat test. A fast release rate of thyme essential oil encapsulated in zein was observed in triacylglycerols media. Antimicrobial activity of encapsulated thyme essential oil was lower than that of free form in 24 h incubation. A better encapsulation efficiency rate was obtained compared to reported values. Rancimat test can be effectively used to measure antioxidant activity when essential oils are used as antioxidants in encapsulated form. A fast release rate of thyme essential oil encapsulated in zein was observed in TAGs media. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The potential of thyme essential oil in controlling gray mold and Fusarium wilt and inducing systemic acquired resistance in tomato seedlings and tomato grown in hydroponic system was evaluated. Thyme oil highly reduced 64% of Botrytis cinerea colonization on pretreated detached leaves compared to untreated control. Also, it played a significant decrease in Fusarium wilt severity especially at7 days post treatment when it was reduced to 30.76%. To explore the plant pathways triggered in response to thyme oil, phenolic compounds accumulation and peroxidase activity was investigated. Plant response was observed either after foliar spray or root feeding in hydroponics which was mostly attributed to peroxidases accumulation rather than phenolic compounds accumulation, and thyme oil seems to be more effective when applied to the roots. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The antifungal and antiaflatoxigenic properties of Thymus vulgaris essential oil (TEO) were evaluated upon Aspergillus flavus “ in vitro ”. Suspension containing 10 6 of A. flavus were cultivated with TEO in concentrations ranging from 50 to 500 μg/mL. TEO reached minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum fungicidal concentration (MFC) at 250 μg/mL. Inhibition of ergosterol biosynthesis was detected at a concentration of 100 μg/mL of TEO. Morphological evaluation performed by both light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy showed that antifungal activity of TEO could be detected starting at a concentration of 50 μg/mL and the fungicide effect at a concentration of 250 μg/mL. TEO completely inhibited production of both B 1 and B 2 aflatoxins (AFB 1 and AFB 2 ) at a concentration of 150 μg/mL. This way, fungal biomass development and aflatoxin production were dependent on TEO concentration. Therefore, TEO was capable of controlling the growth of A. flavus and its production of aflatoxins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO 2 -NPs) are widely utilized in medicine and industry; however, their safety in biological organisms is still unclear. In this study, we determined the bioactive constitutes of thyme essential oil (TEO) and utilized the nanoemulsion technique to improve its protective efficiency against oxidative stress, genotoxicity, and DNA damage of biosynthesized titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO 2 -NPs). TEO nanoemulsion (TEON) was prepared using whey protein isolate (WPI). Sixty male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into six groups and treated orally for 21 days including the control group, TEO, or TEON- treated groups (5 mg/kg b.w), TiO 2 -NPs-treated group (50 mg/kg b.w) and the groups received TiO 2 -NPs plus TEO or TEON. Blood and tissues samples were collected for different assays. The GC-MS analysis identified 17 bioactive compounds in TEO and thymol and carvacrol were the major compounds. TEON was irregular with average particles size of 230 ± 3.7 nm and ζ-potential of −24.17 mV. However, TiO2-NPs showed a polygonal shape with an average size of 50 ± 2.4 nm and ζ-potential of −30.44 mV. Animals that received TiO2-NPs showed severe disturbances in liver and kidney indices, lipid profile, oxidant/antioxidant indices, inflammatory cytokines, gene expressions, increased DNA damage, and pathological changes in hepatic tissue. Both TEO and TEON showed potential protection against these hazards and TEON was more effective than TEO. The nanoemulsion of TEO enhances the oil bioactivity, improves its antioxidant characteristics, and protects against oxidative damage and genotoxicity of TiO2-NPs. • Titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO 2 -NPs) induced oxidative stress and DNA damage • TiO 2 -NPs induced disturbances in the RNA gene expression • Seventeen bioactive compounds were identified in thyme essential oil (TEO) • TEO nanoemulsion (TEON) improved its antioxidant activity of the oil • TEON showed a potent protection against TiO 2 -NPs [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Essential oils (EOs) are mixtures of volatile plant secondary metabolites and have been exploited by humans for thousands of years for various purposes because of their many bioactivities. In this study, the EO from Thymus capitatus , a thyme species organically cultured on the Greek Island of Lemnos, was analyzed for its chemical composition (through GC-FID and GC-MS), antioxidant activity (AA), and total phenolic content (TPC), as well as its antimicrobial and antibiofilm actions against three important foodborne bacterial pathogens ( Salmonella enterica ser. Typhimurium, Listeria monocytogenes , and Yersinia enterocolitica ). For the latter investigations, the minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) and minimum biofilm inhibitory concentrations (MBICs) of the EO against the planktonic and biofilm growth of each pathogen were determined, together with the minimum biofilm eradication concentrations (MBECs). Results revealed that T. capitatus EO was rich in thymol, p -cymene, and carvacrol, presenting high AA and TPC (144.66 μmol Trolox TM equivalents and 231.32 mg gallic acid equivalents per g of EO, respectively), while its MICs and MBICs ranged from 0.03% to 0.06% v / v and 0.03% to 0.13% v / v , respectively, depending on the target pathogen. The EO was able to fully destroy preformed (mature) biofilms of all three pathogenic species upon application for 15 min, with MBECs ranging from 2.00 to 6.25% v / v . Overall, the results demonstrate that the EO of organically cultured T. capitatus presents strong antioxidant, antibacterial, and antibiofilm properties and could, therefore, be further exploited as a functional and antimicrobial natural formulation for food and health applications.

This study examines five different specifically designed extruded fish feeds: BD (basal diet), without added antioxidants; BHT, with 200 mg/kg of butylhydroxytoluene; RO, with 600 mg/kg of rosemary extract ( Rosmarinus officinalis ); TC, with 500 mg/kg of thyme essential oil ( Thymbra capitata , carvacrol chemotype); and TZ, with 500 mg/kg of thyme essential oil ( Thymus zygis , subspecies gracilis , thymol chemotype). The feeds were produced by means of a cooking-extrusion process and were stored under standard conditions at two different average temperatures, either refrigerated (4 ± 1 °C) or at ambient temperature (20–28 °C). Samples were taken during processing (raw mix, recently extruded (moist) and dry feed) and at 4, 8, 12 and 24 weeks of storage. Both TBARS and induced TBARS were determined at each sampling point, as well as phenolic compounds content after feed processing. During the preparation process, the RO feed was the least oxidized and retained the least amount of phenols. The oxidative status of all feeds was maintained in cold storage, although the BD diet became less resistant to induced oxidation. At ambient temperature, the RO and BHT feeds showed the greatest protection against induced oxidation starting at week 8, and at the end of the storage period, the RO feed was the least oxidized. Overall, rosemary extract had a similar effect to that of butylhydroxytoluene on the processing and storage of extruded feed, and better than that of thyme essential oils. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A 42-day trial was undertaken to study the effect of different dietary levels of thyme essential oil (TEO) on serum biochemical indices of broiler chickens. Seven hundred and sixty-eight selected one-day-old Mahua broilers were divided into 8 dietary treatment groups with an addition of 0.00, 0.05, 0.10, 0.15, 0.20, 0.25, 0.30 and 0.35 mg/kg of thyme essential oil respectively, with 4 replicate pens per treatment group (24 birds each). The feeding programme included a starter diet until day 21 and a finisher diet from day 22 until day 42. The results suggested that TEO markedly increased serum total proteins and globulins on day 21, significantly decreased alanine aminotransferase activity (P⩽0.05), the albumin- to-globulin ratio, and serum urea on day 21 and 42, and in particular it improved highdensity lipoproteins on day 21 and 42 (P⩽0.05). In conclusion, TEO can promote protein metabolism, enhance lipolysis and strengthen the immune function. Furthermore, after a comprehensive analysis, the ideal range of the essential oil addition to the broiler feed proved to be between 0.1 and 0.25 mg/kg. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A study was conducted to determine the effect of probiotics and thyme essential oil (TEO) as feed additives on the sensory attributes, cooking loss and the texture of broiler chicken meat. Day-old broilers Ross 308 (n=400 chicks) were randomly divided into four groups based on the feed supplement as follows: C-control, E1-probiotics 0.05%, E2-TEO 0.05% and E4-combined, probiotics 5% with TEO 5%, respectively. The fattening period was 42 days. Warner Bratzler shear force, cooking loss and the following sensory attributes (colour, odour, taste, texture, meat decomposing and overall acceptability) were tested. The obtained results of the Warner Bratzler shear force show that there was significant different (p<0.05) between control and TEO group and for the cooking loss there was no significant difference between groups. The descriptive sensory analysis results show that the probiotics group results were somewhat similar to that obtained by control while the TEO group and the combined group results were similar. Regarding the sensory analysis we can state that the combination of the probiotics with TEO have a positive effect on the chicken breast meat sensory characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]