title: Binary mixture of Satureja hortensis and Origanum vulgare subsp. hirtum essential oils: in vivo therapeutic efficiency against Helicobacter pylori infection.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Helicobacter pylori can cause many gastrointestinal and also extra-gastrointestinal disorders and is a major risk factor for gastric carcinoma and MALT lymphoma. Currently, numerous antibiotic-based therapies are available; however, these therapies have numerous drawbacks, mainly due to increasing prevalence of antibiotic resistant strains. Thus, there is an urgent need to develop novel therapeutic agents against H. pylori infections.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this study, the anti-H. pylori activity of 2:1 mixture of Satureja hortensis and Origanum vulgare subsp. hirtum essential oils (2MIX) was investigated in vivo. After screening in vitro cytotoxicity of 2MIX on mammalian cell lines, the therapeutic efficiency was studied in a mouse model, where changes in H. pylori colonization were detected by PCR and histology of gastric samples. The immune reaction of mice was tested based on cytokine and chemokine production, and the in vivo toxicity of 2MIX was also investigated by measuring ALT and AST enzyme activities and Cyp3a11 and HO-1 mRNA levels in livers of mice.
  
  
  RESULTS
  2MIX had not shown in vitro cytotoxicity against cell lines, only the highest concentration caused significant decrease in their survival rates. In the in vivo experiments, 2MIX successfully eradicated the pathogen in 70% of the mice. We could not detect toxicity or altered cytokine and chemokine balance after in vivo treatments in mice.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results show that 2MIX is effective in reducing H. pylori colonization suggesting that this essential oil mixture has great potential as a new, effective, and safe therapeutic agent against H. pylori.
authors: Laboratory of Microscopic Image Analysis and Machine Learning, Institute of Biochemistry, Biological Research Centre, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Szeged, Hungary.
authors: Maria
authors: M
authors: Harmati
authors: Laboratory of Microscopic Image Analysis and Machine Learning, Institute of Biochemistry, Biological Research Centre, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Szeged, Hungary.
authors: Edina
authors: E
authors: Gyukity-Sebestyen
authors: Laboratory of Microscopic Image Analysis and Machine Learning, Institute of Biochemistry, Biological Research Centre, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Szeged, Hungary.
authors: Gabriella
authors: G
authors: Dobra
authors: Institute of Clinical Microbiology, Albert Szent-Györgyi Medical and Pharmaceutical Center, Faculty of Medicine, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary.
authors: Gabriella
authors: G
authors: Terhes
authors: Institute of Clinical Microbiology, Albert Szent-Györgyi Medical and Pharmaceutical Center, Faculty of Medicine, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary.
authors: Edit
authors: E
authors: Urban
authors: Department of Oral Biology and Experimental Dental Research, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary.
authors: Gabor
authors: G
authors: Decsi
authors: Department of Chemistry, Biochemistry and Environmental Protection, Faculty of Sciences, University of Novi Sad, Novi Sad, Serbia.
authors: Neda
authors: N
authors: Mimica-Dukić
authors: Department of Chemistry, Biochemistry and Environmental Protection, Faculty of Sciences, University of Novi Sad, Novi Sad, Serbia.
authors: Marija
authors: M
authors: Lesjak
authors: Department of Chemistry, Biochemistry and Environmental Protection, Faculty of Sciences, University of Novi Sad, Novi Sad, Serbia.
authors: Nataša
authors: N
authors: Simin
authors: Laboratory of Microbial Genomics, Institute of Biochemistry, Biological Research Centre, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Szeged, Hungary.
authors: Bernadett
authors: B
authors: Pap
authors: Department of Dermatology and Allergology, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary.
authors: Istvan B
authors: IB
authors: Nemeth
authors: Laboratory of Microscopic Image Analysis and Machine Learning, Institute of Biochemistry, Biological Research Centre, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Szeged, Hungary.|Department of Oral Biology and Experimental Dental Research, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary.
authors: Krisztina
authors: K
authors: Buzas
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D016207:Cytokines / Q000032:analysis; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005260:Female; D005753:Gastric Mucosa / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology; D016481:Helicobacter Infections / Q000188:drug therapy*; D016480:Helicobacter pylori / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006651:Histocytochemistry; D008099:Liver / Q000473:pathology; D008111:Liver Function Tests; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D009822:Oils, Volatile / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000302:isolation & purification; D031341:Origanum / Q000737:chemistry*; D031362:Satureja / Q000737:chemistry*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; D009822:Oils, Volatile
keywords: 
  Helicobacter pylori
  ; essential oils; phytotherapy