title: The in-vitro evaluation of antibacterial, antifungal and cytotoxic properties of Marrubium vulgare L. essential oil grown in Tunisia.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In order to validate its antiseptic and anticancer properties with respect to traditional uses, we have screened for the first time the antimicrobial activity of aerial parts of M. vulgare L. essential oil against different pathogenic microorganisms and the cytotoxic activity against HeLa cell lines.
  
  
  METHODS
  The agar disk diffusion method was used to study the antibacterial activity of M. vulgare essential oil against 12 bacterial and 4 fungi strains. The disc diameters of zone of inhibition (DD), the minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) and the concentration inhibiting 50% (IC50) were investigated to characterize the antimicrobial activities of this essential oil. The in vitro cytotoxicity of M. vulgare essential oil was examined using a modified MTT assay; the viability and the IC50 were used to evaluate this test.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The antimicrobial activity of the essential oil was investigated in order to evaluate its efficacy against the different tested microorganisms. The present results results showed a significant activity against microorganisms especially Gram (+) bacteria with inhibition zones and minimal inhibitory concentration values in the range of 6.6-25.2 mm and 1120-2600 μg/ml, respectively, whereas Gram (-) bacteria exhibited a higher resistance. As far as the antifungal activity, among four strains tested, Botrytis cinerea exhibited the strongest activity with inhibition zones of 12.6 mm. However, Fusarium solani, Penicillium digitatum and Aspergillus niger were less sensitive to M. vulgare essential oil. About the citotoxicity assay, this finding indicate the capability of this essential oil to inhibited the proliferation of HeLa cell lines under some conditions with IC50 value of 0.258 μg/ml.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This investigation showed that the M. vulgare essential oil has a potent antimicrobial activity against some Gram (+) pathogenic bacteria and Botrytis cinerea fungi. The present studies confirm the use of this essential oil as anticancer agent. Further research is required to evaluate the practical values of therapeutic applications.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de Biochimie et de Génie Enzymatique des Lipases, ENIS, BPW, 1173 Sfax, University of Sfax, Tunisia.
authors.forename: Zied
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zarai
authors.forename: Adel
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kadri
authors.forename: Ines
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Ben Chobba
authors.forename: Riadh
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ben Mansour
authors.forename: Ahmed
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bekir
authors.forename: Hafedh
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Mejdoub
authors.forename: Néji
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Gharsallah
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000935:Antifungal Agents / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D055808:Drug Discovery; D006090:Gram-Negative Bacteria / Q000187:drug effects; D006094:Gram-Positive Bacteria / Q000187:drug effects; D006367:HeLa Cells; D006801:Humans; D020128:Inhibitory Concentration 50; D027522:Marrubium / Q000737:chemistry*; D016488:Medicine, African Traditional; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D003904:Mitosporic Fungi / Q000187:drug effects; D009822:Oils, Volatile / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D035261:Plant Components, Aerial / Q000737:chemistry*; D013729:Terpenes / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology; D014416:Tunisia; D055814:Wilderness
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D000935:Antifungal Agents; D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic; D009822:Oils, Volatile; D013729:Terpenes