Characterization of Hydrogel Beads for the Gradual Release of Origanum vulgare L. Essential Oil and Evaluation of Their Antifungal Activity Against Candida albicans

Concha, Victoria; Díaz-Dosque, Mario; Duarte, Luisa Fernanda; Jara, José A.; Molina-Berríos, Alfredo

doi:10.3390/microorganisms13092065

Open AccessArticle

Characterization of Hydrogel Beads for the Gradual Release of Origanum vulgare L. Essential Oil and Evaluation of Their Antifungal Activity Against Candida albicans

by

Victoria Concha

^1,†,

Mario Díaz-Dosque

^1,†

,

Luisa Fernanda Duarte

^2,3

,

José A. Jara

¹

and

Alfredo Molina-Berríos

^1,*

¹

Institute for Research in Dental Sciences, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Chile, Olivos 943, Independencia, Santiago 8380544, Chile

²

Centro de Medicina Regenerativa, Facultad de Medicina, Clínica Alemana, Universidad del Desarrollo, Santiago 7610658, Chile

³

Millenium Institute on Immunology and Immunotherapy, Santiago, Chile

^*

Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.

^†

These authors contributed equally to this work.

Microorganisms 2025, 13(9), 2065; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms13092065

Submission received: 30 July 2025 / Revised: 25 August 2025 / Accepted: 30 August 2025 / Published: 5 September 2025

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Research on Antimicrobial Activity of Natural Products, Second Edition)

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Abstract

Candida albicans infections are associated with high morbidity and mortality worldwide. Current antifungal therapies are limited by adverse effects and the emergence of resistant strains, which compromise long-term efficacy. Previous studies have shown that Origanum vulgare L. essential oil (OvEO) possesses strong antifungal activity; however, its volatility and physicochemical instability hinder clinical application. The aim of this study was to encapsulate OvEO in a hydrogel and evaluate its release kinetics, chemical composition, structural properties, and antifungal activity. We assessed its release kinetics, chemical composition, structural characteristics (FTIR; SEM), and antifungal activity against C. albicans. OvEO was successfully encapsulated into hydrogel beads, enabling a gradual release profile, with in vitro release of phenolic compounds reaching 100% at 48 min. SEM revealed an irregular surface with small pores and crystalline aggregates distributed across the bead surface. OvEO-loaded hydrogel beads inhibited C. albicans growth with an IC₅₀ of 0.15 ± 0.05 mg/L for strain 90029 and 0.2 ± 0.06 mg/L for strain 10231. At these concentrations, adhesion to abiotic surfaces was reduced by 60–80%. These findings support the potential of OvEO-loaded hydrogel beads as an alternative approach for the treatment of fungal infections, offering a complementary strategy to current antifungal agents.

Keywords: oregano essential oil; Candida albicans; hydrogel beads; controlled release; alginate

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MDPI and ACS Style

Concha, V.; Díaz-Dosque, M.; Duarte, L.F.; Jara, J.A.; Molina-Berríos, A. Characterization of Hydrogel Beads for the Gradual Release of Origanum vulgare L. Essential Oil and Evaluation of Their Antifungal Activity Against Candida albicans. Microorganisms 2025, 13, 2065. https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms13092065

AMA Style

Concha V, Díaz-Dosque M, Duarte LF, Jara JA, Molina-Berríos A. Characterization of Hydrogel Beads for the Gradual Release of Origanum vulgare L. Essential Oil and Evaluation of Their Antifungal Activity Against Candida albicans. Microorganisms. 2025; 13(9):2065. https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms13092065

Chicago/Turabian Style

Concha, Victoria, Mario Díaz-Dosque, Luisa Fernanda Duarte, José A. Jara, and Alfredo Molina-Berríos. 2025. "Characterization of Hydrogel Beads for the Gradual Release of Origanum vulgare L. Essential Oil and Evaluation of Their Antifungal Activity Against Candida albicans" Microorganisms 13, no. 9: 2065. https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms13092065

APA Style

Concha, V., Díaz-Dosque, M., Duarte, L. F., Jara, J. A., & Molina-Berríos, A. (2025). Characterization of Hydrogel Beads for the Gradual Release of Origanum vulgare L. Essential Oil and Evaluation of Their Antifungal Activity Against Candida albicans. Microorganisms, 13(9), 2065. https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms13092065

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Characterization of Hydrogel Beads for the Gradual Release of Origanum vulgare L. Essential Oil and Evaluation of Their Antifungal Activity Against Candida albicans

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