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Thymbra capitata (L.) Cav. and Rosmarinus officinalis (L.) Essential Oils: In Vitro Effects and Toxicity on Swine Spermatozoa.

ABSTRACT: Essential oils possess a variety of biological properties (i.e., antioxidant, antibacterial, and cytotoxic) that could possibly be applied in reproductive medicine, but their effects on spermatozoa are still partially unknown. The aim of the study was to describe the effects of Thymbra capitata (L.) Cav. and Rosmarinus officinalis (L.) essential oils on the main morpho-functional parameters of swine spermatozoa. Essential oils were preliminary characterized by gas chromatography and added with emulsifiers to facilitate diffusion. Experimental samples were prepared by suspending a fixed number of spermatozoa in 5 mL of medium with 10 different concentrations of essential oil (0.2-2 mg/mL, at intervals of 0.2). After 3 h of incubation, samples were analyzed for pH, viability, objective motility, and acrosome status. Results showed that the effects of the essential oils are concentration-dependent and that R. officinalis is well tolerated up to 0.6 mg/mL. T. capitata impaired the spermatozoa starting from the lowest concentration, with complete spermicidal effect from 0.4 mg/mL. The patterns of damage, confirmed by SEM, were different and quite distinct. As expected, spermatozoa proved to be sensitive to external stimuli and capable of showing different functional patterns, providing interesting insights to the action/toxicity mechanisms. The results of the present work represent the first step towards the systematic characterization of the effects of these compounds on spermatozoa. This kind of studies are necessary to strengthen the idea of future applications of essential oils in the reproductive field due to their antioxidant, antibacterial, or spermicidal properties.

SUBMITTER: Elmi A

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6149686 | biostudies-other | 2017 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-other

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Publications

Thymbra capitata (L.) Cav. and Rosmarinus officinalis (L.) Essential Oils: In Vitro Effects and Toxicity on Swine Spermatozoa.

Elmi Alberto A Ventrella Domenico D Barone Francesca F Filippini Gianfranco G Benvenuti Stefania S Pisi Annamaria A Scozzoli Maurizio M Bacci Maria L ML

Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) 20171206 12

Essential oils possess a variety of biological properties (i.e., antioxidant, antibacterial, and cytotoxic) that could possibly be applied in reproductive medicine, but their effects on spermatozoa are still partially unknown. The aim of the study was to describe the effects of <i>Thymbra capitata</i> (L.) Cav. and <i>Rosmarinus officinalis</i> (L.) essential oils on the main morpho-functional parameters of swine spermatozoa. Essential oils were preliminary characterized by gas chromatography an ...[more]

PMID: 29211030

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Project description:Essential oils (EOs) have attracted increased interest for different applications such as food preservatives, feed additives and ingredients in cosmetics. Due to their reported variable composition of components, they might be acutely toxic to humans and animals in small amounts. Despite the necessity, rigorous toxicity testing in terms of safety evaluation has not been reported so far, especially using alternatives to animal models. Here, we provide a strategy by use of alternative in vitro (cell cultures) and in vivo (Caenorhabditis elegans, hen's egg test) approaches for detailed investigation of the impact of commonly used rosemary, citrus and eucalyptus essential oil on acute, developmental and reproductive toxicity as well as on mucous membrane irritation. In general, all EOs under study exhibited a comparable impact on measured parameters, with a slightly increased toxic potential of rosemary oil. In vitro cell culture results indicated a concentration-dependent decrease of cell viability for all EOs, with mean IC50 values ranging from 0.08 to 0.17% [v/v]. Similar results were obtained for the C. elegans model when using a sensitized bus-5 mutant strain, with a mean LC50 value of 0.42% [v/v]. In wild-type nematodes, approximately tenfold higher LC50 values were detected. C. elegans development and reproduction was already significantly inhibited at concentrations of 0.5% (wild-type) and 0.1% (bus-5) [v/v] of EO, respectively. Gene expression analysis revealed a significant upregulation of xenobiotic and oxidative stress genes such as cyp-14a3, gst-4, gpx-6 and sod-3. Furthermore, all three EOs under study showed an increased short-time mucous membrane irritation potential, already at 0.5% [v/v] of EO. Finally, GC-MS analysis was performed to quantitate the relative concentration of the most prominent EO compounds. In conclusion, our results demonstrate that EOs can exhibit severe toxic properties, already at low concentrations. Therefore, a detailed toxicological assessment is highly recommended for each EO and single intended application.

Dataset Information

Thymbra capitata (L.) Cav. and Rosmarinus officinalis (L.) Essential Oils: In Vitro Effects and Toxicity on Swine Spermatozoa.

Publications

Thymbra capitata (L.) Cav. and Rosmarinus officinalis (L.) Essential Oils: In Vitro Effects and Toxicity on Swine Spermatozoa.

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