Loading of Oregano Oil in Natural Nanogel and Preliminary Studies on Its Antiviral Activity on Betacoronavirus 1

Oregano oil was successfully encapsulated into chitosan–albumin nanogel via emulsification and electrostatic gelation. The system was characterized with a mean diameter around 26 nm, narrow size distribution (PDI = 0.242) and approximately 40% encapsulation efficiency. The incorporation of the oil i...

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Main Authors: Lyubomira Radeva, Maya M. Zaharieva, Sevda Naydenska, Pelagia Foka, Erini Karamichali, Efthymia Ioanna Koufogeorgou, Urania Georgopoulou, Stanislav Philipov, Alexander Kroumov, Hristo Najdenski, Ivanka Spassova, Daniela Kovacheva, Krassimira Yoncheva
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-04-01
Series:Molecules
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/30/9/1939
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author Lyubomira Radeva
Maya M. Zaharieva
Sevda Naydenska
Pelagia Foka
Erini Karamichali
Efthymia Ioanna Koufogeorgou
Urania Georgopoulou
Stanislav Philipov
Alexander Kroumov
Hristo Najdenski
Ivanka Spassova
Daniela Kovacheva
Krassimira Yoncheva
author_facet Lyubomira Radeva
Maya M. Zaharieva
Sevda Naydenska
Pelagia Foka
Erini Karamichali
Efthymia Ioanna Koufogeorgou
Urania Georgopoulou
Stanislav Philipov
Alexander Kroumov
Hristo Najdenski
Ivanka Spassova
Daniela Kovacheva
Krassimira Yoncheva
author_sort Lyubomira Radeva
collection DOAJ
description Oregano oil was successfully encapsulated into chitosan–albumin nanogel via emulsification and electrostatic gelation. The system was characterized with a mean diameter around 26 nm, narrow size distribution (PDI = 0.242) and approximately 40% encapsulation efficiency. The incorporation of the oil into the nanogel was confirmed by XRD and FTIR analyses, and the dissolution of the oil was enhanced after the encapsulation. Furthermore, the treatment of Betacoronavirus 1 infected bovine kidney MDBK cells with the oregano oil-loaded nanogel (25 µg/mL) showed more than 50% protection against the infection, as compared to the non-treated virus infected control. The cytopathic effect (CPE) of the virus was inhibited in a concentration-dependent manner. The system inhibited the virus replication, resulting in a decrease of the viral particles by more than half, as shown by the cytotoxicity and CPE assays. The virus titer in treated and non-treated samples was determined by digital droplet PCR and revealed Δ3 log diminishment of the virus particles in samples treated with 25 µg/mL encapsulated oregano oil. This study is a basis for further investigations on the pharmacodynamics of the nanogel and its possible combinations with clinically applied chemotherapeutics.
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spelling doaj-art-73f05d2ea388445f99a84dacda62adab2025-08-20T01:50:45ZengMDPI AGMolecules1420-30492025-04-01309193910.3390/molecules30091939Loading of Oregano Oil in Natural Nanogel and Preliminary Studies on Its Antiviral Activity on Betacoronavirus 1Lyubomira Radeva0Maya M. Zaharieva1Sevda Naydenska2Pelagia Foka3Erini Karamichali4Efthymia Ioanna Koufogeorgou5Urania Georgopoulou6Stanislav Philipov7Alexander Kroumov8Hristo Najdenski9Ivanka Spassova10Daniela Kovacheva11Krassimira Yoncheva12Faculty of Pharmacy, Medical University of Sofia, 2 Dunav Str., 1000 Sofia, BulgariaThe Stephan Angeloff Institute of Microbiology, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, 1113 Sofia, BulgariaFaculty of Medicine, Alexandrovska Hospital, Medical University of Sofia, 1431 Sofia, BulgariaDepartment of Microbiology, Laboratory of Molecular Virology, Hellenic Pasteur Institute, 11521 Athens, GreeceDepartment of Microbiology, Laboratory of Molecular Virology, Hellenic Pasteur Institute, 11521 Athens, GreeceDepartment of Microbiology, Laboratory of Molecular Virology, Hellenic Pasteur Institute, 11521 Athens, GreeceDepartment of Microbiology, Laboratory of Molecular Virology, Hellenic Pasteur Institute, 11521 Athens, GreeceDepartment of Human Anatomy, Histology, General and Clinical Pathology and Forensic Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University Hospital Lozenetz, Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski”, 2 Kozyak Str., 1407 Sofia, BulgariaThe Stephan Angeloff Institute of Microbiology, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, 1113 Sofia, BulgariaThe Stephan Angeloff Institute of Microbiology, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, 1113 Sofia, BulgariaInstitute of General and Inorganic Chemistry, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, 1113 Sofia, BulgariaInstitute of General and Inorganic Chemistry, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, 1113 Sofia, BulgariaFaculty of Pharmacy, Medical University of Sofia, 2 Dunav Str., 1000 Sofia, BulgariaOregano oil was successfully encapsulated into chitosan–albumin nanogel via emulsification and electrostatic gelation. The system was characterized with a mean diameter around 26 nm, narrow size distribution (PDI = 0.242) and approximately 40% encapsulation efficiency. The incorporation of the oil into the nanogel was confirmed by XRD and FTIR analyses, and the dissolution of the oil was enhanced after the encapsulation. Furthermore, the treatment of Betacoronavirus 1 infected bovine kidney MDBK cells with the oregano oil-loaded nanogel (25 µg/mL) showed more than 50% protection against the infection, as compared to the non-treated virus infected control. The cytopathic effect (CPE) of the virus was inhibited in a concentration-dependent manner. The system inhibited the virus replication, resulting in a decrease of the viral particles by more than half, as shown by the cytotoxicity and CPE assays. The virus titer in treated and non-treated samples was determined by digital droplet PCR and revealed Δ3 log diminishment of the virus particles in samples treated with 25 µg/mL encapsulated oregano oil. This study is a basis for further investigations on the pharmacodynamics of the nanogel and its possible combinations with clinically applied chemotherapeutics.https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/30/9/1939oregano oilchitosanalbuminnanogelantiviral activityBetacoronavirus 1
spellingShingle Lyubomira Radeva
Maya M. Zaharieva
Sevda Naydenska
Pelagia Foka
Erini Karamichali
Efthymia Ioanna Koufogeorgou
Urania Georgopoulou
Stanislav Philipov
Alexander Kroumov
Hristo Najdenski
Ivanka Spassova
Daniela Kovacheva
Krassimira Yoncheva
Loading of Oregano Oil in Natural Nanogel and Preliminary Studies on Its Antiviral Activity on Betacoronavirus 1
Molecules
oregano oil
chitosan
albumin
nanogel
antiviral activity
Betacoronavirus 1
title Loading of Oregano Oil in Natural Nanogel and Preliminary Studies on Its Antiviral Activity on Betacoronavirus 1
title_full Loading of Oregano Oil in Natural Nanogel and Preliminary Studies on Its Antiviral Activity on Betacoronavirus 1
title_fullStr Loading of Oregano Oil in Natural Nanogel and Preliminary Studies on Its Antiviral Activity on Betacoronavirus 1
title_full_unstemmed Loading of Oregano Oil in Natural Nanogel and Preliminary Studies on Its Antiviral Activity on Betacoronavirus 1
title_short Loading of Oregano Oil in Natural Nanogel and Preliminary Studies on Its Antiviral Activity on Betacoronavirus 1
title_sort loading of oregano oil in natural nanogel and preliminary studies on its antiviral activity on betacoronavirus 1
topic oregano oil
chitosan
albumin
nanogel
antiviral activity
Betacoronavirus 1
url https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/30/9/1939
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