Treatment of experimental pythiosis with essential oils of Origanum vulgare and Mentha piperita singly, in association and in combination with immunotherapy

Vet Microbiol. 2015 Aug 5;178(3-4):265-9. doi: 10.1016/j.vetmic.2015.05.023. Epub 2015 May 28.

Fonseca AO¹, Pereira DI², Botton SA³, Pötter L³, Sallis ES¹, Júnior SF¹, Filho FS⁴, Zambrano CG⁴, Maroneze BP⁴, Valente JS⁴, Baptista CT⁴, Braga CQ⁴, Ben VD⁴, Meireles MC¹.

• ¹Programa de Pós-Graduação em Medicina Veterinária, Faculdade de Veterinária, Universidade Federal de Pelotas (UFPel), Pelotas, RS, Brazil.
• ²Laboratório de Micologia, Departamento de Microbiologia e Parasitologia, Universidade Federal de Pelotas, Pelotas/RS, Brazil. Electronic address: danielabrayer@gmail.com.
• ³Centro de Ciências Rurais, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria (UFSM), Santa Maria/RS, Brazil.
• ⁴Laboratório de Micologia, Departamento de Microbiologia e Parasitologia, Universidade Federal de Pelotas, Pelotas/RS, Brazil.

Abstract

This study investigated the in vivo antimicrobial activity of the essential oils of Origanum vulgare and Mentha piperita both singly, associated and in combination with immunotherapy to treat experimental pythiosis. The disease was reproduced in 18 rabbits divided into six groups (n=3): group 1, control; group 2, treated with essential oil of Mentha piperita; group 3, treated with essential oil of Origanum vulgare; group 4, treated with commercial immunotherapic; group 5, treated with a association of oils of M. piperita and O. vulgare and group 6, treated with a combination of both oils plus immunotherapy. Essential oils were added in a topical cream base formula, and lesions were treated daily for 45 days. The animals in groups 4 and 6 received a dose of immunotherapeutic agent every 14 days. The results revealed that the evolution of lesions in groups 5 and 6 did not differ from one another but differed from the other groups. The lesions of group 5 increased 3.16 times every measurement, while those of group 6 increased 1.83 times, indicating that the smallest growth of the lesions occurred when the combination of therapies were used. A rabbit from group 5 showed clinical cure at day 20 of treatment. This research is the pioneer in the treatment of experimental pythiosis using essential oils from medicinal plants and a combination of therapies. This study demonstrated that the use of essential oils can be a viable alternative treatment to cutaneous pythiosis, particularly when used in association or combination with immunotherapy.
Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

KEYWORDS:

Immunotherapeutic; Oomycete; Oregano; Peppermint; Pythium insidiosum; Rabbits