A novel nanoemulsion based on clove and thyme essential oils: Characterization, antibacterial, antibiofilm and anticancer activities

Background: Essential oil nanoemulsions have received much attention in the last period due to their ability to fight microbes and cancers. In the current study, clove and thyme essential oils CL+TH-emulsion and CL+TH-nanoemulsion were prepared through an eco-friendly method. The prepared CL+TH-nanoemulsion was characterized using DLS and TEM analyses. Results: Results revealed that CL+TH-nanoemulsion droplets were spherical in shape and nanoform in size (68.6 nm) with PDI 0.281. MIC concentrations of CL+TH-nanoemulsion against tested bacteria were found to be between 6.25 and 25 mg/mL. After being exposed to MICs of CL+TH-emulsion and CL+TH-nanoemulsion, which additionally prompted 1.43 log and 3.12 log declines, accordingly, as opposed to untreated (Control), the number of cells grown in the generated biofilms decreased. Furthermore, CL+TH-nanoemulsion exhibited anticancer activity more than CL+TH-emulsion toward HepG2 and MCF-7. Also, the effect of CL+TH-nanoemulsion is more effective and significantly cytotoxic than taxol on MCF-7. Besides, both prepared emulsions increased the rate of apoptosis and decreased the cell viability % of MCF-7 by increasing the activity of caspases 8 and 9. Moreover, CL+TH-nano emulsion decreased the activity of VEGFR-2 in MCF-7 in a more pronounced manner than CL+TH-emulsion and taxol. Conclusions: The prepared CL+TH-nanoemulsion had antibacterial, and antibiofilm as well as anticancer properties, which can be used in different biomedical applications after extensive studies in vivo.