The objective of this study was to evaluate the antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anticancer properties of thymol, carvacrol, and their equimolar mixture. Antioxidant activities were assessed using the DPPH, ABTS, and ORAC methods. The thymol/carvacrol mixture exhibited significant synergism, surpassing the individual compounds and ascorbic acid in DPPH (IC₅₀ = 43.82 ± 2.41 µg/mL) and ABTS (IC₅₀ = 23.29 ± 0.71 µg/mL) assays. Anti-inflammatory activity was evaluated by inhibiting the 5-LOX, COX-1, and COX-2 enzymes. The equimolar mixture showed the strongest inhibition of 5-LOX (IC₅₀ = 8.46 ± 0.92 µg/mL) and substantial inhibition of COX-1 (IC₅₀ = 15.23 ± 2.34 µg/mL) and COX-2 (IC50 = 14.53 ± 2.42 µg/mL), indicating a synergistic effect. Anticancer activity was tested on MCF-7, MDA-MB-231, and MDA-MB-436 breast cancer cell lines using the MTT assay. The thymol/carvacrol mixture demonstrated superior cytotoxicity (IC₅₀ = 0.92–1.70 µg/mL) and increased selectivity compared to cisplatin, with high selectivity indices (144.88–267.71). These results underscore the promising therapeutic potential of the thymol/carvacrol combination, particularly for its synergistic antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anticancer properties against breast cancer. This study paves the way for developing natural therapies against breast cancer and other conditions associated with oxidative stress and inflammation, leveraging the synergistic effects of natural compounds like thymol and carvacrol.

This study explores the effects of chitosan (CHT) and jasmonic acid (JA) elicitors on rose-scented geranium (Pelargonium graveolens Hort.) cell suspension cultures, aiming to enhance the production of phenolics and flavonoids and antioxidant properties. Elicitation with CHT and JA resulted in varied biomass yields and callus characteristics, with higher concentrations generally leading to increased phenolic accumulation. Optimal biomass was achieved with CHT4 (75 mg/mL) and JA3 (50 µM) treatments. HPLC-DAD analysis revealed changes in phenolic compound composition and quantities, with specific compounds induced by either CHT₄ or JA₃. For instance, gallic acid content increased significantly in CHT₄-treated cells, while catechin content increased notably in both CHT₄ and JA₃ treatments. Antioxidant enzyme activities like superoxide dismutase and peroxidase increased with elicitor concentration, particularly in CHT₄ and JA₃ treatments. Both treatments exhibited potent antioxidant activity, with JA₃ exhibiting the lowest IC₅₀ value in the DPPH assay and highest total antioxidant capacity (TAC) values. Surprisingly, both CHT₄ and JA₃ extracts effectively inhibited tyrosinase activity. These findings underscore the efficacy of CHT and JA elicitors in enhancing phenolic and flavonoid production, boosting antioxidant capacity, and inhibiting tyrosinase activity in P. graveolens cultures, offering promising implications for further research and industrial applications in pharmaceutical and cosmetic sectors.

This study examines the impact of irrigation water quality on the synthesis of secondary metabolites and the chemical composition of Mentha piperita essential oil (MPEO). Three essential oils from Mentha piperita plants, irrigated with different water sources commonly used for mint irrigation in Morocco’s Oriental region, were analyzed. The water sources were characterized based on various parameters, such as nitrites, nitrates, orthophosphates, chemical oxygen demand (COD), biological oxygen demand (BOD5), pH, and electrical conductivity. The essential oils were extracted using hydrodistillation, and their chemical composition was determined using gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC/MS), revealing notable variations among the compositions of the three essential oils. In this study, in silico tests using the Prediction of Activity Spectra for Substances (PASS) algorithm; the absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion (ADME) model; and Pro-Tox II were conducted to evaluate the drug-likeness, pharmacokinetic properties, expected safety profile upon ingestion, and potential pharmacological activity of the identified compounds in MPEO. The antioxidant activity of the MPEOs was assessed through a 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging assay and the total antioxidant activity (TAC) method. Additionally, the antimicrobial effectiveness of the essential oils was tested against four bacterial strains (Staphylococcus aureus, Micrococcus luteus, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa) and four fungal strains (Candida glabrata, Rhodotorula glutinis, Penicillium digitatum, Aspergillus niger), demonstrating moderate to strong activities against the tested strains. This study concludes that regulating irrigation water quality can enhance the production of specific metabolites, making them potentially valuable as antioxidants and antimicrobial agents.

Introduction: This study investigates the biological activities of Lavandula pinnata essential oil (LPEO), an endemic lavender species from the Canary Islands, traditionally used in treating various ailments.Methods: LPEO was extracted by hydrodistillation and analyzed using GC-MS. Antioxidant activity was assessed by DPPH radical scavenging and total antioxidant capacity assays. Antimicrobial activity was evaluated by disc diffusion, MIC, MBC, and MFC determination against bacterial (Staphylococcus aureus, Micrococcus luteus, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa) and fungal (Candida glabrata, Rhodotorula glutinis, Aspergillus niger, Penicillium digitatum) strains. Antidiabetic and anti-gout potential were investigated through α-amylase, α-glucosidase, and xanthine oxidase inhibition assays. Antityrosinase activity was determined using a modified dopachrome method. Cytotoxicity was assessed by MTT assay against breast (MCF-7, MDA-MB-468), liver (HepG2), colon (HCT-15) cancer cells, and normal cells (PBMCs).Results and discussion: LPEO exhibits potent antiradical activity (IC50 = 148.33 ± 2.48 μg/mL) and significant antioxidant capacity (TAC = 171.56 ± 2.34 μg AA/mg of EO). It demonstrates notable antibacterial activity against four strains (Staphylococcus aureus, Micrococcus luteus, Escherichia coli, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa) with inhibition zones ranging from 18.70 ± 0.30 mm to 29.20 ± 0.30 mm, along with relatively low MIC and MBC values. LPEO displays significant antifungal activity against four strains (Candida glabrata, Rhodotorula glutinis, Aspergillus niger, and Penicillium digitatum) with a fungicidal effect at 1 mg/mL, surpassing the positive control (cycloheximide), and MIC and MFC values indicating a fungicidal effect. It exhibits substantial inhibition of xanthine oxidase enzyme (IC50 = 26.48 ± 0.90 μg/mL), comparable to allopurinol, and marked inhibitory effects on α-amylase (IC50 = 31.56 ± 0.46 μg/mL) and α-glucosidase (IC50 = 58.47 ± 2.35 μg/mL) enzymes.The enzyme tyrosinase is inhibited by LPEO (IC50 = 29.11 ± 0.08 mg/mL). LPEO displays moderate cytotoxic activity against breast, liver, and colon cancer cells, with low toxicity towards normal cells (PBMC). LPEO exhibits greater selectivity than cisplatin for breast (MCF-7) and colon (HCT-15) cancer cells but lower selectivity for liver (HepG2) and metastatic breast (MDA-MB-468) cancer cells. These findings suggest the potential of LPEO as an antioxidant, antimicrobial, anti-gout, antidiabetic, and anticancer agent.

The optimization of existing natural antioxidants that are highly effective is crucial for advancements in medicine and the food industry. Due to growing concerns regarding the safety of synthetic antioxidants, researchers are increasingly focusing on natural sources, particularly essential oils (EOs). Combining EOs might enhance antioxidant activity due to increased chemical diversity. This study investigates, for the first time, the antioxidant properties of EOs from Lavandula dentata, Rosmarinus officinalis, and Myrtus communis, both individually and in combination, using the augmented-simplex design methodology. The in vitro evaluation of the antioxidant activity was performed using DPPH and ABTS radical scavenging assays. Chromatography gas-mass spectrometry (CG-MS) revealed that 1,8-cineol (37.27%) and pinocarveol (12.67%) are the primary components of L. dentata; verbenone (16.90%), camphor (15.00%), and camphene (11.03%) are predominant in R. officinalis; while cineol (43.32%) is the main component of M. communis. The EOs showed varying scavenging activities against ABTS and DPPH radicals, with DPPH assay values ranging from 194.10 ± 3.01 to 541.19 ± 3.72 µg/mL and ABTS assay values ranging from 134.07 ± 1.70 to 663.42 ± 2.99 µg/mL. These activities were enhanced when the EOs were combined. The optimal antioxidant blend for DPPH_IC50 consisted of 20% L. dentata, 50% R. officinalis, and 30% M. communis. For the highest ABTS radical scavenging activity, the best combination was 18% L. dentata, 43% R. officinalis, and 40% M. communis. These results highlight the potential of EO combinations as new natural formulations for use in cosmeceutical, food, and pharmaceutical sectors.