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In Vitro Activity of Melaleuca alternifolia (Tea Tree) in Its Free Oil and Nanoemulsion Formulations Against Pythium insidiosum

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Abstract

Pythium insidiosum is an important aquatic oomycete which can cause pythiosis in both animals and humans. This microorganism shows low susceptibility to antifungal drugs available. This study analyzed the in vitro antimicrobial activity of Melaleuca alternifolia in its free oil (FO) and nanoemulsion (NE) formulations against Brazilian P. insidiosum isolates. The antimicrobial activity evaluation was performed by the broth microdilution method according to CSLI M38-A2 document adapted to phytopharmaceuticals. Twenty-six P. insidiosum isolates were evaluated, and the minimum inhibitory concentration was determined at 100 % growth inhibition. Melaleuca alternifolia essential oil or FO was obtained commercially. The NE containing 1 % M. alternifolia essential oil was prepared by the spontaneous emulsification method. All P. insidiosum isolates evaluated showed minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) ranging from 531.5 to 2125 μg/mL for the FO formulation; MIC50 and MIC90 showed values between 1062.5 and 2125 μg/mL, respectively. When the NE formulation was evaluated, MIC values ranged from 132.7 to 2125 μg/mL and both MIC50 and MIC90 corresponded to 1062.5 μg/mL. FO and NE formulations of M. alternifolia showed antimicrobial activity against P. insidiosum. This study demonstrated that M. alternifolia oil can be an additional therapy in pythiosis treatment; however, further studies are needed to evaluate the applicability of the plant essential oils in the treatment of clinical pythiosis.

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Acknowledgments

The authors are grateful to Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado do Rio Grande do Sul (FAPERGS) and Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) [Process: 442,020/2014-7] for their financial support, and student and research grants.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratório de Micologia, Departamento de Microbiologia e Parasitologia, Prédio 18, Sala 14, Universidade Federal de Pelotas, Campus Capão do Leão, s/n°, Pelotas, RS, 96010-900, Brazil

    Júlia de Souza Silveira Valente, Anelise de Oliveira da Silva Fonseca, Carolina Litchina Brasil & Daniela Isabel Brayer Pereira

  2. Centro de Ciências Rurais, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Av. Roraima 1000, Prédio 44, Campus Universitário Camobi, Santa Maria, RS, 97105-900, Brazil

    Lauren Sagave, Luís Antônio Sangioni, Luciana Pötter & Sônia de Avila Botton

  3. Centro de Ciências da Saúde, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Av. Roraima 1000, Prédio 20, Campus Universitário Camobi, Santa Maria, RS, 97105-900, Brazil

    Fernanda Cramer Flores, Cristiane de Bona da Silva & Janio Morais Santurio

Authors
  1. Júlia de Souza Silveira Valente
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  2. Anelise de Oliveira da Silva Fonseca
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  3. Carolina Litchina Brasil
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  4. Lauren Sagave
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  5. Fernanda Cramer Flores
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  6. Cristiane de Bona da Silva
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  7. Luís Antônio Sangioni
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  8. Luciana Pötter
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  9. Janio Morais Santurio
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  10. Sônia de Avila Botton
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  11. Daniela Isabel Brayer Pereira
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Correspondence to Daniela Isabel Brayer Pereira.

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de Souza Silveira Valente, J., de Oliveira da Silva Fonseca, A., Brasil, C.L. et al. In Vitro Activity of Melaleuca alternifolia (Tea Tree) in Its Free Oil and Nanoemulsion Formulations Against Pythium insidiosum . Mycopathologia 181, 865–869 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11046-016-0051-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11046-016-0051-2

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