Introduction: Urinary tract infections related to catheters are one of the most common urinary infections and can affect patient outcomes. Hence, coating urinary catheters is an important issue against several resistant bacterial pathogens that can form a resistant biofilm. This study examined the antibacterial and antibiofilm properties of the coated catheter with green silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) made from Origanum majorana.

Methods: Aloe Vera, Ocimum basilicum, Matricaria chamomilla, Foeniculum vulgare, Glycyrrhiza glabra, Origanum majorana, Urtica urens, Salvia Rosmarinus, and Salvia officinalis hydro-alcoholic extracts were prepared and tested for their antibacterial activities utilizing the agar well diffusion technique. Furthermore, O. majorana extract was tested against biofilm formation using a microtiter plate assay. UPLC-ESI-Q-TOF was used for the profiling and tentative identification of biological compounds in the O. majorana extract. O. majorana was used to prepare AgNPs-MARJ, which were characterized for their size, charge, and shape. Further, AgNPs-MARJ were used to coat two types of urinary catheters. The coated catheters were tested for their resistance to bacterial biofilm formation and compared with non-coated catheters.

Results and discussion: Initial antimicrobial screening tests showed that O. majorana extracts presented a significant (p<0.05; ANOVA/Tukey) antibacterial activity against the studied species of bacteria compared to the other plant extracts. O. majorana extract showed MIC value of 35.0 mg/mL for E. coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and K. pneumoniae and displayed the highest antibiofilm activity at 100 mg/mL. LC-MS analysis tentatively identified the presence of quinic acid and flavonoid-based constituents like apigenin which contribute to the antibiofilm activity. AgNPs-MARJ were efficiently prepared with a size and charge of 111.5 nm and -19.66 mV, respectively. The coated urinary catheters showed a significant (p<0.05) decrease in Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilm formation compared to control non-coated catheters.

Conclusion: AgNPs-MARJ offer promising prospects for addressing biofilm-related challenges in urinary tract-related catheter infections.

Sarcoptic mange, commonly known as scabies, is a highly contagious skin condition caused by the
burrowing mite Sarcoptes scabiei (Astigmata: Sarcoptinae). This parasitic disease significantly impacts
livestock and human health, particularly in underserved regions. Current treatments rely on synthetic
acaricides like permethrin and ivermectin, which suffer from limitations such as toxicity, resistance
development, and environmental contamination. Essential oils from Apiaceae plants represent a
promising natural alternative. This study reviewed 122 volatile constituents from Apiaceae plants
and conducted comprehensive in silico analyses to identify potential antiparasitic agents. Geraniol
emerged as a potent acaricidal candidate due to its strong binding affinity to acetylcholinesterase
(AChE) (docking score: − 7.85 kcal/mol). In vitro testing revealed geraniol achieved a 100% mite
mortality rate at concentrations as low as 6.25% within 15 min (LT50 = 9.5 min). In vivo studies using
scabies-infected rabbits demonstrated that geraniol-treated animals exhibited complete clinical
recovery by two weeks post-treatment, with disappearance of crusts, itching, and skin thickening.
Histopathological examination showed near-complete skin regeneration with minimal inflammatory
infiltrates, in contrast to control groups which exhibited severe lesions and active mite presence.
Furthermore, geraniol-treated rabbits displayed new hair growth and improved general condition, with
no observed adverse effects. These findings highlight geraniol’s potential as a safe, effective, and ecofriendly
treatment for scabies, offering a 100% improvement in clinical and histological recovery within
two weeks. Further research should focus on optimizing delivery systems and evaluating its efficacy in
human clinical trials.