[Effects of low doses of essential oil on the antioxidant state of the erythrocytes, liver, and the brains of mice]

Prikl Biokhim Mikrobiol. 2014 Jan-Feb;50(1):101-7. doi: 10.7868/s0555109914010097.
[Article in Russian]

Abstract

We studied the effects of essential oil from oregano and clove and a mixture of lemon essential oil and a ginger extract on the antioxidant state of organs in intact and three experimental groups of Bulb mice. We found that the essential oil was an efficient in vivo bioantioxidant when mice were treated with it for 6 months even at very low doses, such as 300 ng/day. All essential oil studied inhibited lipid peroxidation (LPO) in the membranes of erythrocytes that resulted in increased membrane resistance to spontaneous hemolysis, decreased membrane microviscosity, maintenance of their structural integrity, and functional activity. The essential oil substantially decreased the LPO intensity in the liver and the brains of mice and increased the resistance of liver and brain lipids to oxidation and the activity of antioxidant enzymes in the liver. The most expressed bioantioxidant effect on erythrocytes was observed after clove oil treatment, whereas on the liver and brain, after treatment with a mixture of lemon essential oil and a ginger extract.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Antioxidants / isolation & purification
  • Antioxidants / pharmacology*
  • Brain / drug effects*
  • Brain / enzymology
  • Cell Membrane Permeability / drug effects
  • Erythrocyte Membrane / drug effects
  • Glutathione Peroxidase / metabolism
  • Glutathione Transferase / metabolism
  • Lipid Peroxidation / drug effects
  • Liver / drug effects*
  • Liver / enzymology
  • Male
  • Membrane Fluidity / drug effects
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred BALB C
  • Oils, Volatile / isolation & purification
  • Oils, Volatile / pharmacology*
  • Origanum / chemistry
  • Plant Oils / isolation & purification
  • Plant Oils / pharmacology*
  • Superoxide Dismutase / metabolism
  • Syzygium / chemistry
  • Zingiber officinale / chemistry

Substances

  • Antioxidants
  • Oils, Volatile
  • Plant Oils
  • Glutathione Peroxidase
  • Superoxide Dismutase
  • Glutathione Transferase
  • lemon oil