Use of multiparameter flow cytometry to determine the effects of monoterpenoids and phenylpropanoids on membrane polarity and permeability in staphylococci and enterococci.

Monoterpenoids and phenylpropanoids are major components of many plant essential oils and are relatively simple, low-molecular-weight compounds with antimicrobial activity. This study used multiparameter flow cytometry to examine changes in membrane polarity and permeability in Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis and Enterococcus faecalis following exposure to the monoterpenoids carvacrol, 1,8-cineole and terpinen-4-ol and the phenylpropanoids eugenol and cinnamaldehyde. Melaleuca alternifolia (tea tree) essential oil was also investigated.

Phenotypic and genotypic profile of human tympanic membrane derived cultured cells.

The human tympanic membrane (hTM), known more commonly as the eardrum, is a thin, multi-layered membrane that is unique in the body as it is suspended in air. When perforated, the hTM's primary function of sound-pressure transmission is compromised. For the purposes of TM reconstruction, we investigated the phenotype and genotype of cultured primary cells derived from hTM tissue explants, compared to epithelial (HaCaT cells) and mesenchymal (human dermal fibroblasts (HDF)) reference cells.