Suppression effect of thyme and carvacrol nano-emulsions on Aspergillus fumigatus isolated from patients in the intensive care unit of Assiut University Hospital, Egypt

Abstract

Background and Aim: Aspergillus fumigatus is a zoonotic fungus that causes several diseases in humans ranging from allergic reaction to fatal disseminated invasive infection, especially in immunocompromised patients. This study aimed to investigate the incidence of invasive A. fumigatus in patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) of Assiut University Hospital, highlight the factors associated with their infection, and determine the antifungal effect of thyme nano-emulsion (TNE) and carvacrol nano-emulsion (CNE) on isolated A. fumigatus strains. Materials and Methods: Mycological culture method and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were used in the identification of A. fumigatus in 630 blood samples collected from 210 patients. TNE and CNE at five concentrations (1%, 2%, 4%, 6%, and 8%) and average sizes of 90.3 and 75.6 nm, respectively, were characterized by transmission electron microscopy. Their effect on A. fumigatus isolate growth was evaluated by the well-diffusion method and SEM, which was used for the detection of the degenerative effect of A. fumigatus ultrastructure. Results: A. fumigatus was detected in 54 of 210 (25.7%) patients in the ICU. Advanced age and chronic diseases were considered important risk factors for invasive aspergillosis, especially in patients with more than 1 clinical disease. TNE and CNE showed an inhibitory effect on A. fumigatus isolates, which significantly increased with high concentrations. The respective values for TNE at concentrations of 6% and 8% were 6±0.41 mm and 15±0.67 mm. CNE completely inhibited A. fumigatus growth at concentrations of 4%, 6%, and 8%, while mean inhibition zones of 22±0.68 mm and 30±0.32 mm appeared at concentrations of 1% and 2%. SEM demonstrated degenerative changes in A. fumigatus structure. Conclusion: TNE and CNE can be used in bioactive treatments against A. fumigatus, and additional studies are required to determine the safe and effective doses and best method for application in human and veterinary medicine.

A New Approach in using Moringa Oil (Mo) and Nano-Mo as a Bio Preservative in White Cheese

“…In addition, the shape and size of NEs allowed them to penetrate the bacterial cell wall and increasing the antibacterial inhibition (Athikomkulchai et al, 2021). The formed NEs in this investigation showed a tiny DP, which was essentially identical to those reported by Hassanien et al (2021a).…”

Antifungal Activity of Thyme and Carvacrol Nanoemulsions Against Aspergillus fumigatus Isolated from Different Types of Cheese

“…Nanoemulsions with small size are more effective as their surface area was increased which enhance the exposure of microorganisms to nanoemulsions (Gupta et al, 2016). These results inconsistence with Hassanien et al (2021) who reported that, TN and CN have antifungal effect on A. fumigatus growth (Table 2). The antimicrobial effect of nanoemulsions related to their ability to pass through cell wall and cytoplasmic membranes into the microorganisms cells and fracture the cell structures, which increasing its permeability and causing disorders in cell metabolism, protein synthesis and ion transportation mechanism inside the cell (Langeveld et al, 2014;El-Sayed and El-Sayed, 2021).…”

Effectiveness of oil-based nanoemulsions with molecular docking of its antimicrobial potential

“…oryzae (Xoo), which is the causative agent of leaf blight in rice (Adamu et al 2021). NEs of thyme and carvacrol oils were applied as antifungal treatments against Aspergillus fumigatus, causing alterations in the structure of conidia and fungal hyphae (Hassanien et al 2021). NEs of Rosmarinus officinalis oil have been applied (Eid et al 2022) to inhibit Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA).…”