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. 2024 Apr 1;11(4):157.
doi: 10.3390/vetsci11040157.

Immunomodulatory Role of Rosmarinus officinalis L., Mentha x piperita L., and Lavandula angustifolia L. Essential Oils in Sheep Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells

Maria Giovanna Ciliberti  1 , Marzia Albenzio  1 , Agostino Sevi  1 , Laura Frabboni  1 , Rosaria Marino  1 , Mariangela Caroprese  1
Affiliations

Immunomodulatory Role of Rosmarinus officinalis L., Mentha x piperita L., and Lavandula angustifolia L. Essential Oils in Sheep Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells

Maria Giovanna Ciliberti et al. Vet Sci. .

Abstract

Recently, the uses of essential oils (EOs) as rumen modifiers, anti-inflammatory agents, and antioxidants were demonstrated in livestock. In the present study, the role of Mentha x piperita L. (MEO), Rosmarinus officinalis L. (REO), and Lavandula angustifolia L. (LEO) EOs in an in vitro sheep model of inflammation was investigated. With this aim, peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were treated with incremental concentrations (3, 5, 7, and 10%) of each EO to test their effects on cell viability and proliferation and on interleukin (IL)-6, IL-10, and IL-8 secretion. The PBMCs were stimulated by Concanavalin A (ConA) alone or in combination with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) mitogen. The positive and negative controls were represented by PBMCs in the presence or absence, respectively, of mitogens only. The cell viability and proliferation were determined by XTT and BrdU assays, while the cytokines were analyzed by ELISA. The EO treatments did not affect the viability; on the contrary, the PBMC proliferation increased in presence of all the EOs tested, according to the different percentages and mitogens used. The IL-10 secretion was higher in both the REO and the LEO tested at 3% than in the positive control; furthermore, the IL-8 level was influenced differently by the various EOs. The present data demonstrate that EOs may modulate the immune response activated by inflammation.

Keywords: cytokines; immune response; one health; sustainability.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
(a) PBMC-viability percentage after in vitro treatment with incremental concentrations (3, 5, 7, and 10%) of Mentha x piperita L. EO (MEO) stimulated with concanavalin A (ConA) and liposaccharide (LPS) and concanavalin A only (ConA); (b) PBMC-viability percentage after in vitro treatment with incremental concentrations (3, 5, 7, and 10%) of Rosmarinus officinalis L. EO (REO) stimulated with concanavalin A (ConA) and liposaccharide (LPS) and concanavalin A only (ConA); (c) PBMC-viability percentage after in vitro treatment with incremental concentrations (3, 5, 7, and 10%) of Lavandula angustifolia L. EO (LEO) stimulated with concanavalin A (ConA) and liposaccharide (LPS) and concanavalin A only (ConA). Controls were represented by CNS (unstimulated PBMC), CS_ConA (PBMCs stimulated with ConA), CS_ConALPS (PBMCs stimulated with ConA and LPS), CS_LPS (PBMCs stimulated with LPS). Treatments with differing superscripts (a, b, c, d) differ (p < 0.05).
Figure 2
Figure 2
(a) PBMC proliferative response measured with optical density (OD) at 450 nm after in vitro treatment with incremental concentrations (3, 5, 7, and 10%) of Mentha x piperita L. EO (MEO) stimulated with concanavalin A (ConA) and liposaccharide (LPS) and concanavalin A only (ConA); (b) PBMC proliferative response measured with optical density (OD) at 450 nm after in vitro treatment with incremental concentrations (3, 5, 7, and 10%) of Rosmarinus officinalis L. EO (REO) stimulated with concanavalin A (ConA) and liposaccharide (LPS) and concanavalin A only (ConA); (c) PBMC proliferative response measured with optical density (OD) at 450 nm after in vitro treatment with incremental concentrations (3, 5, 7, and 10%) of Lavandula angustifolia L. EO (LEO) stimulated with concanavalin A (ConA) and liposaccharide (LPS) and concanavalin A only (Con)A. Controls were represented by CNS (unstimulated PBMC), CS_ConA (PBMC stimulated with ConA), CS_ConALPS (PBMC stimulated with Con and LPS), CS_LPS (PBMC stimulated with LPS). Treatments with differing superscripts (a, b, c) differ (p < 0.05).
Figure 3
Figure 3
Secretion of (a) IL-6, (b) IL-10, and (c) IL-8 in PBMCs after in vitro treatment with incremental concentrations (3, 5, 7, and 10%) of EOs and in presence of the combination of concanavalin A (ConA) and liposaccharide (LPS) stimuli. Controls were represented by CNS (unstimulated PBMC), and CS_ConALPS (PBMC stimulated with ConA and LPS). In blue, data on Mentha x piperita L. EO (MEO), in green, data on Rosmarinus officinalis L.(REO), and in purple, data on Lavandula angustifolia L. (LEO) cytokine production. Treatments with differing superscripts (a, b, c) differ (p < 0.05).
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