Abstract

Myrtus communis L. is a common medicinal plant with a wide range of biological properties. In this study, an attempt was made to improve its essential oil’s antioxidant, anticancer, and antibacterial activities by preparing a nanogel dosage form. Alpha-pinene (29.7), 1,8-cineole (25.8), linalool (9.1), linalool acetate (5.9), and geranyl acetate (3.4) were identified as five major compounds in the essential oil using GC–MS analysis. Optimum nanoemulsion with a droplet size of 179 ± 7 nm and a narrow droplet size distribution (SPAN 0.96) was gelified by the addition of carboxymethyl cellulose (3 w/v ). The rheometry analysis at shear rates of 0.1–100 1/s showed the viscosity was fully fitted with the Carreau-Yasuda model. The nanogel with IC50 132.6 µg/mL was 4 folds more potent than the bulk essential oil (IC50: 580.8 µg/mL) against A-375 melanoma cells. Besides, after treatment of Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus with 1000 µg/mL of the nanogel and the bulk essential oil, their growths were observed at 37.5 and 59.1 as well as 21.4 and 40.6. Besides, antioxidant activity was investigated using DPPH assay; the nanogel was significantly more potent (P < 0.001) than that of bulk essential oil at all examined concentrations (62.6–1000 µg/mL). Furthermore, polyethylene oxide-gelatin electrospun nanofibers (diameter of 359 ± 36 nm) with no effects on the cancer cell and the bacterial growth were proposed as lesion dressing after-treatment with the nanogel. Therefore, the stained nanofiber with the nanogel could be considered a natural potent anticancer and antibacterial agent in vivo study. Graphical abstract: Figure not available: see fulltext. © 2022, Institute of Chemistry, Slovak Academy of Sciences.