Academic Journal
Co-encapsulation of formic acid and Satureja hortensis essential oil enhances antibacterial and anti-inflammatory activities against Salmonella enterica.
| Title: | Co-encapsulation of formic acid and Satureja hortensis essential oil enhances antibacterial and anti-inflammatory activities against Salmonella enterica. |
|---|---|
| Authors: | Feyzi S; Department of Biology, Ma. C., Islamic Azad University, Mashhad, Iran., Karimi E; Department of Biology, Ma. C., Islamic Azad University, Mashhad, Iran. Electronic address: ehskarimi59@iau.ac.ir., Moghaddam MN; Department of Biology, Ma. C., Islamic Azad University, Mashhad, Iran., Hosseinzadeh M; Department of Biology, Ma. C., Islamic Azad University, Mashhad, Iran., Oskoueian E; Department of Biology, Ma. C., Islamic Azad University, Mashhad, Iran; Department of Research and Development, Arka Industrial Cluster, Mashhad, Iran. Electronic address: E.oskoueian@gmail.com. |
| Source: | Journal of microbiological methods [J Microbiol Methods] 2026 Aug; Vol. 247, pp. 107589. Date of Electronic Publication: 2026 Jun 16. |
| Publication Type: | Journal Article |
| Language: | English |
| Journal Info: | Publisher: Elsevier Biomedical Country of Publication: Netherlands NLM ID: 8306883 Publication Model: Print-Electronic Cited Medium: Internet ISSN: 1872-8359 (Electronic) Linking ISSN: 01677012 NLM ISO Abbreviation: J Microbiol Methods Subsets: MEDLINE |
| Imprint Name(s): | Original Publication: Amsterdam, The Netherlands : Elsevier Biomedical, c1983- |
| MeSH Terms: | Oils, Volatile*/pharmacology , Oils, Volatile*/chemistry , Oils, Volatile*/administration & dosage , Salmonella enterica*/drug effects , Satureja*/chemistry , Anti-Bacterial Agents*/pharmacology , Anti-Bacterial Agents*/chemistry , Anti-Bacterial Agents*/administration & dosage , Anti-Inflammatory Agents*/pharmacology , Anti-Inflammatory Agents*/chemistry , Anti-Inflammatory Agents*/administration & dosage , Formates*/pharmacology , Formates*/chemistry , Formates*/administration & dosage, Nanocapsules/chemistry ; Salmonella Infections/drug therapy ; Salmonella Infections/microbiology ; Animals ; Mice ; Microbial Sensitivity Tests ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Cymenes ; Thymol |
| Abstract: | The emergence of multidrug-resistant Salmonella enterica has increased the need for alternative antibacterial strategies based on natural bioactive compounds with multifunctional properties. This study developed spray-dried co-encapsulated formic acid (FA) and Satureja hortensis essential oil (SEO) nanocapsules and evaluated their physicochemical properties, antibacterial activity, and anti-inflammatory potential. GC-MS analysis showed SEO was rich in carvacrol (41.26%), thymol (18.74%), p-cymene (14.32%), and γ-terpinene (11.48%). SEM and DLS analyses indicated spherical nanoparticles with a mean dry diameter of 442.91 nm and a hydrodynamic diameter of 346.93 nm (PDI 0.246), indicating uniform distribution. Encapsulation efficiency was 81.47 ± 2.16%. The formulation showed strong antibacterial activity against Salmonella enterica, Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Escherichia coli, and Klebsiella pneumoniae in disk diffusion, MIC, and MBC assays. In vivo, Salmonella-infected BALB/c mice receiving FA-SEO nanocapsules showed improved body weight, feed intake, antioxidant enzymes, and immunoglobulin levels, with reduced liver enzymes and intestinal inflammation. Histopathology confirmed protective effects on intestinal and hepatic tissues, while iNOS expression in the jejunum was significantly reduced, indicating anti-inflammatory action. Overall, FA-SEO co-encapsulation enhanced stability and biological activity, offering a promising supportive strategy against Salmonella infection and inflammation, though further mechanistic and safety studies are needed. These findings suggest that combining organic acid and essential oil components through nano-encapsulation may improve antimicrobial stability, enhance bioavailability, and enable synergistic interactions between active compounds, thereby increasing efficacy compared with non-encapsulated forms. Such multifunctional nanoformulations may also reduce required dosages, minimize potential side effects, and provide a natural alternative to conventional antibiotics in food-producing animals, contributing to antimicrobial resistance mitigation strategies. Moreover, the observed modulation of inflammatory markers such as iNOS highlights the potential immunomodulatory role of the formulation beyond direct antibacterial effects, supporting tissue protection during infection. Further long-term in vivo studies are required to confirm safety, dosage optimization, and mechanistic pathways and clinical applicability in the future. (Copyright © 2026 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.) |
| Competing Interests: | Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper. |
| Contributed Indexing: | Keywords: Anti-inflammatory activity; Antimicrobial compounds; Essential oil; Formic acid; Nanocapsules; Salmonella enterica; Satureja hortensis |
| Substance Nomenclature: | 0 (Oils, Volatile) 0 (Anti-Bacterial Agents) 0 (Anti-Inflammatory Agents) 0 (Formates) 0YIW783RG1 (formic acid) 0 (Nanocapsules) 0 (Cymenes) 9B1J4V995Q (carvacrol) 3J50XA376E (Thymol) |
| Entry Date(s): | Date Created: 20260616 Date Completed: 20260711 Latest Revision: 20260711 |
| Update Code: | 20260712 |
| DOI: | 10.1016/j.mimet.2026.107589 |
| PMID: | 42302970 |
| Database: | MEDLINE |
| ISSN: | 1872-8359 |
|---|---|
| DOI: | 10.1016/j.mimet.2026.107589 |