Proliferation of human adipose tissue-derived stem cells stimulated by oil rich in thymol of Lippia origanoides.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the effects of this thymol-rich oil in the proliferation of human adipose tissue-derived stem cells.

METHODS: Stem cells were isolated from human adipose tissue by liposuction. After the first passage, cells were cultivated in triplicate for three days in control medium and medium supplemented with three oil samples (1.0 μg/mL, 5.0 μg/mL, and 25.0 μg/mL). Cells were analyzed by the MTT assay at passage 1 (P1), and cell proliferation of control and 1 μg/mL groups was determined with a hemocytometer at P2 and P3.

RESULTS: Viability of the essential oil-treated cells was significantly higher than the control group at P1 (p = 0.0008). The treatment with the oil, at a concentration of 1 µg/mL, led to increases of 24.8% at P1 and 43.0% at P3 in the rate of cell proliferation compared with control cells.

CONCLUSION: Supplementing culture medium with essential oil of Lippia origanoides increased cell proliferation, especially at later passages.