Protective effect of some essential oils against oxidative and nitrosative stress on Tetrahymena thermophila growth

Abstract

The present work evaluates the anti-oxidative and anti-nitrosative stress effect of seven essential oils supplementations on Tetrahymena thermophila growth. Hydrogen peroxide and sodium nitroprusside were used to create oxidative and nitrosative stress, respectively. Results showed that the two agents of stress modify the growth curve of the protozoan. The protective effect of lavender, geranium, thyme, rosemary, cypress, juniper and clove essential oils were assessed. These essential oils act differently depending on the type of stress and the plants from which they arise. Most of them remarkably increase the cell number at the exponential phase. Moreover, the synergistic interaction between essential oils does not seem to be stress type selective, and significantly reduce both oxidative and nitrosative stress especially at the exponential phase of growth.

Keywords:

• Essential oils
• aromatic plants
• anti-stress effect
• Tetrahymena thermophila
• synergism

Acknowledgments

The authors thank Professor Juan Carlos Gutiérrez from ‘Universidad Complutense de Madrid’ for supplying the strain of T. thermophila SB1969. The authors are also thankful to Ms Wafaa Fatma Ben Saida for bringing the essential oils.

Funding

This work was supported by the Moroccan CNRST (URAC).