Toxicological Evaluation of Some Essential Oils Obtained from Selected Romania Lamiaceae Species in Complex with Hydroxypropyl - gamma-cyclodextrin

Abstract

Medicinal plants are highly investigated due to their multiple effects in human health. In the last two decades, plants belonging to Lamiaceae family have emerged as an important source of compounds with beneficial effects in various pathologies. Many species of the Lamiaceae family have a high volatile oil content which can be found in different parts of the plant. Some representative examples include Lavandula spp. Salvia spp. and Mentha spp. which are species with essential oils studied for antioxidant, antimicrobial and antitumor effects. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of six essential oils at skin level before and after encapsulation in hydroxypropyl-gamma-cyclodextrins. Results indicated that regardless of the tested form, the samples did not display an irritating or toxic effect at skin level, suggesting that the essential oils can be used in different formulations for topical application. Keywords: essential oils, Lamiaceae, hydroxypropyl-gamma-cyclodextrins, mexametry, corneometry, tewametry