{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,10]],"date-time":"2025-10-10T01:41:58Z","timestamp":1760060518600,"version":"build-2065373602"},"reference-count":34,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"9","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,9,5]],"date-time":"2025-09-05T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1757030400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"Agencia Nacional de Investigaci\u00f3n y Desarrollo (ANID)","award":["Fondecyt Regular 1241130","Fondecyt 11241567","FIOUCH 2023\/02 -2024-2026"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["Fondecyt Regular 1241130","Fondecyt 11241567","FIOUCH 2023\/02 -2024-2026"]}]},{"name":"Direcci\u00f3n de Investigaci\u00f3n Facultad de Odontolog\u00eda (DIFO)","award":["Fondecyt Regular 1241130","Fondecyt 11241567","FIOUCH 2023\/02 -2024-2026"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["Fondecyt Regular 1241130","Fondecyt 11241567","FIOUCH 2023\/02 -2024-2026"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Microorganisms"],"abstract":"<jats:p>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 \u00b1 0.05 mg\/L for strain 90029 and 0.2 \u00b1 0.06 mg\/L for strain 10231. At these concentrations, adhesion to abiotic surfaces was reduced by 60\u201380%. 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.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/microorganisms13092065","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,9,5]],"date-time":"2025-09-05T07:46:17Z","timestamp":1757058377000},"page":"2065","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Characterization of Hydrogel Beads for the Gradual Release of Origanum vulgare L. Essential Oil and Evaluation of Their Antifungal Activity Against Candida albicans"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"13","author":[{"given":"Victoria","family":"Concha","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Institute for Research in Dental Sciences, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Chile, Olivos 943, Independencia, Santiago 8380544, Chile"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-5843-1274","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Mario","family":"D\u00edaz-Dosque","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Institute for Research in Dental Sciences, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Chile, Olivos 943, Independencia, Santiago 8380544, Chile"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-1828-1800","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Luisa Fernanda","family":"Duarte","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Centro de Medicina Regenerativa, Facultad de Medicina, Cl\u00ednica Alemana, Universidad del Desarrollo, Santiago 7610658, Chile"},{"name":"Millenium Institute on Immunology and Immunotherapy, Santiago, Chile"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-3016-9133","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Jos\u00e9 A.","family":"Jara","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Institute for Research in Dental Sciences, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Chile, Olivos 943, Independencia, Santiago 8380544, Chile"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-8351-3239","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Alfredo","family":"Molina-Berr\u00edos","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Institute for Research in Dental Sciences, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Chile, Olivos 943, Independencia, Santiago 8380544, Chile"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,9,5]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"89","DOI":"10.1080\/21505594.2021.2019950","article-title":"Pathogenesis and virulence of Candida albicans","volume":"13","author":"Lopes","year":"2022","journal-title":"Virulence"},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"2567","DOI":"10.2174\/1568026619666191025154834","article-title":"Molecules and metabolites from natural products as inhibitors of biofilm in Candida spp. pathogens","volume":"19","author":"Singla","year":"2019","journal-title":"Curr. 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