RESUMO
Commercial essential oils (EOs) of incense, Boswellia serrata Roxb, and mint, Mentha piperita L., were investigated against vaginal bacterial and Candida albicans isolates for antimicrobial potential and safety use. The antimicrobial activity of EOs was investigated through a double-dilution micro-plate assay. A brine shrimp assay was used for the determination of toxicity, while the determination of the chemical composition of EOs was carried out using GS-MS. Obtained minimal inhibitory (MIC) and minimal bactericidal concentration (MBC) point to the activity of mint essential oil (EO) against the multi-resistant P. aeruginosa isolate (MIC/MBC at 6.25 µL/mL), while MIC and MBC values for other isolates were reached at higher concentrations (25-50 µL/mL). According to the toxicity assay, the incense EO reached the LC50 value at 3.07 µL/mL, while mint EO showed higher toxicity at lower concentrations (0.5 µL/mL) and the LC50 could not be determined. The highest antimicrobial potential was obtained for incense against P. aeruginosa. Although the toxicity assay showed high toxicity of mint EO to the eggs of aquatic crustaceans Artemia salina, further testing of EO toxicity is proposed, for example on healthy cell-lines. According to the GC/MS spectrometry, the most represented components of mint EO were the oxygenated hydrocarbons L-menthone (20.86%) and menthol (31.86%), and they could be proposed for further antimicrobial and toxicity investigation.
RESUMO
Background: The prevention of preterm delivery (PTD) represents one of the major topics in modern obstetrics. The aim was to design a prospective study and investigate if mid-trimester serum and amniotic fluid levels of MCP-1 could predict the occurence of spontaneous PTD. Methods: The study involved 198 women who underwent genetic amniocentesis and blood sampling in the middle of their trimester. After applying the criteria for inclusion in the study, there were 16 respondents in the study group, and 38 respondents in the control group. Level of MCP-1 in amniotic fluid and serum was measured with commercially available enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) and statistical analysis was conducted. Results: There was no statistically significant difference in serum or amniotic fluid MCP1 levels between PTD and the control groups. Conclusion: The results suggest that MCP-1 is probably not the most relevant marker for predicting PTD. This study provides new normative data for MCP-1 levels in amniotic fluid and maternal sera and is a valuable tool for future diagnostic and comparative studies.
