Bioactivity and safety profile of Daucus carota subsp. maximus essential oil

• Daucus carota subsp. maximus essential oil presents relevant and broad antifungal activity.
• The anti-inflammatory potential of the oil is highlighted at both central and peripheral levels.
• Bioactive and non-toxic concentrations are disclosed for putative oral and topical administration or inhalation.
• Target for the development of food supplements, cosmeceuticals or nutraceuticals.

Daucus carota (carrot) essential oil is one of the most valued by-product of this species due to its medicinal properties. The present study focuses on the antifungal and anti-inflammatory activity of the unexplored essential oil of wild carrot (D. carota subsp. maximus) from Portugal.The essential oil from the aerial parts of plants was analysed by GC and GC–MS. The oil showed high contents of α-pinene (22.2%), geranyl acetate (16.0%), β-bisabolene (11.5%), α-asarone (9.8%) and E- methylisoeugenol (8.0%).The antifungal activity (MIC and MLC) was evaluated against several pathogenic strains. The oil showed a broad antifungal activity being particularly active against dermatophytes and Cryptococcus neoformans, with MIC values ranging from 0.16 to 0.32 μL/mL. The anti-inflammatory potential was also assessed at both a peripheral and central level, by measuring nitric oxide (NO) production in lipopolysaccharide-stimulated macrophages and microglia cells. The essential oil (0.32 μL/mL) was able to reduce NO production by 20.7% and 35.8% in macrophages and microglia, respectively. Moreover, the oil safety profile was demonstrated in several mammalian cells using the MTT assay.Both bioactive and safe concentrations of D. carota subsp. maximus essential oil were disclosed supporting further in vivo investigations for the development of therapeutic effective complements in the management of dermatophytosis and/or inflammatory-related disorders. Moreover, bearing in mind that inflammation plays a key role in the development of neurodegenerative diseases, the novelty and significance of these results set up an interesting starting point for the development of a nutraceutical to prevent or ameliorate these highly prevalent chronic disorders.

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