title: Cytotoxicity and morphological effects induced by carvacrol and thymol on the human cell line Caco-2.
abstract: Essential oils used as additives in the food industry due to its flavour, antimicrobial and antioxidant properties. Therefore, human can be exposed orally to these compounds through the ingestion of foods. In this sense, the present work aims to assess toxicological effects of oregano essential oil on the digestive tract. In concrete, the cytotoxic effects of two components of the oregano essential oils, carvacrol and thymol, and their mixture, on the intestinal cells line Caco-2 after 24 and 48 h of exposure are studied. The basal cytotoxicity endpoints assayed (total protein content, neutral red uptake and the tetrazolium salt reduction) and the annexin/propidium iodide staining indicated that carvacrol and the mixture carvacrol/thymol induced toxic effects. Moreover, a morphological study was performed in order to determine the ultrastructural cellular damages caused by these substances. The main morphological alterations were vacuolated cytoplasm, altered organelles and finally cell death. In addition, although no cytotoxic effects were recorded for thymol at any concentration and time of exposure, ultrastructural changes evidenced cellular damage such as lipid degeneration, mitochondrial damage, nucleolar segregation and apoptosis.
authors: Area of Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Seville, Profesor García González No. 2, 41012 Seville, Spain.
authors: María
authors: M
authors: Llana-Ruiz-Cabello
authors: Area of Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Seville, Profesor García González No. 2, 41012 Seville, Spain.
authors: Daniel
authors: D
authors: Gutiérrez-Praena
authors: Area of Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Seville, Profesor García González No. 2, 41012 Seville, Spain. Electronic address: spichardo@us.es.
authors: Silvia
authors: S
authors: Pichardo
authors: Area of Cellular Biology, Faculty of Biology, University of Seville, Avda. Reina Mercedes s/n, 41012 Seville, Spain.
authors: F Javier
authors: FJ
authors: Moreno
authors: Area of Packaging Materials and Systems, ITENE, C/Albert Einstein 1, 46980 Paterna, Valencia, Spain.
authors: José María
authors: JM
authors: Bermúdez
authors: Area of Packaging Materials and Systems, ITENE, C/Albert Einstein 1, 46980 Paterna, Valencia, Spain.
authors: Susana
authors: S
authors: Aucejo
authors: Area of Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Seville, Profesor García González No. 2, 41012 Seville, Spain.
authors: Ana María
authors: AM
authors: Cameán
mesh_terms: D018938:Caco-2 Cells; D000081007:Cymenes; D006801:Humans; D039821:Monoterpenes / Q000633:toxicity*; D013943:Thymol / Q000633:toxicity*
chemical_list: D000081007:Cymenes; D039821:Monoterpenes; D013943:Thymol; C073316:carvacrol
keywords: Caco-2 cell line; Carvacrol; Essential oil; Morphology; Oregano; Thymol