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Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) Sep 2020Thymol (2-isopropyl-5-methylphenol) belongs to the phenolic monoterpenes and mostly occurs in thyme species. It is one of the main compounds of thyme essential oil. Both... (Review)
Review
Thymol (2-isopropyl-5-methylphenol) belongs to the phenolic monoterpenes and mostly occurs in thyme species. It is one of the main compounds of thyme essential oil. Both thymol and thyme essential oil have long been used in traditional medicine as expectorant, anti-inflammatory, antiviral, antibacterial, and antiseptic agents, mainly in the treatment of the upper respiratory system. The current search for new directions of biological or therapeutic activities of natural plant substances with known structures includes thyme essential oil and thymol. Novel studies have demonstrated their antibiofilm, antifungal, antileishmanial, antiviral, and anticancer properties. Also, their new therapeutic formulations, such as nanocapsules containing these constituents, can be beneficial in medicinal practice and create opportunities for their extensive use. Extensive application of thymol and thyme essential oil in the healthcare sector is very promising but requires further research and analysis.
Topics: Animals; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Antifungal Agents; Antiparasitic Agents; Antiviral Agents; Apoptosis; Biofilms; Cell Proliferation; Cryptococcus; Humans; Microbial Sensitivity Tests; Monoterpenes; Oils, Volatile; Phenols; Plant Extracts; Plant Oils; Polymers; Thymol; Thymus Plant
PubMed: 32917001
DOI: 10.3390/molecules25184125 -
Journal of Medicine and Life 2014The study was designed to determine the chemical composition and antimicrobial properties of the essential oil of Thymus vulgaris cultivated in Romania. The essential...
The study was designed to determine the chemical composition and antimicrobial properties of the essential oil of Thymus vulgaris cultivated in Romania. The essential oil was isolated in a yield of 1.25% by steam distillation from the aerial part of the plant and subsequently analyzed by GC-MS. The major components were p-cymene (8.41%), γ-terpinene (30.90%) and thymol (47.59%). Its antimicrobial activity was evaluated on 7 common food-related bacteria and fungus by using the disk diffusion method. The results demonstrate that the Thymus vulgaris essential oil tested possesses strong antimicrobial properties, and may in the future represent a new source of natural antiseptics with applications in the pharmaceutical and food industry.
Topics: Anti-Infective Agents; Cyclohexane Monoterpenes; Cymenes; Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; Monoterpenes; Oils, Volatile; Thymol; Thymus Plant
PubMed: 25870697
DOI: No ID Found -
Veterinary Medicine and Science Jan 2022Thymol and carvacrol as natural essential oils and phenol compounds are components derived from some medicinal plants, such as thyme and oregano species. (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Thymol and carvacrol as natural essential oils and phenol compounds are components derived from some medicinal plants, such as thyme and oregano species.
OBJECTIVES
The increasing demands in organic and healthy meat and egg consumption in human society have made it necessary to consider alternative natural compounds for the replacement of chemical compounds in poultry production. The chemical compounds can remain in meat and eggs and cause complications in human health. Therefore, these natural compounds can be fed with a higher safety in poultry production with specific effects. In this regard, the role of thymol and carvacrol as natural compounds in the poultry production has been discussed in the review.
METHODS
In this study, by searching for keywords related to thymol and carvacrol in poultry production in Google Scholar database, the articles related to different aspects of the biological effects of these two phytogenes in poultry production were selected and analyzed.
RESULTS
A review of previous studies has shown that thymol and carvacrol possess a wide range of biological activities, including antibacterial, antiviral, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, modulating of immunity response and regulating of the gut microbial population. Also, in meat type chickens can promote growth and influence feed utilization. The beneficial effect of this compound was evaluated in hepatic toxicity and demonstrated as a hepatoprotective compound in chickens. Furthermore, these compounds can affect the behavior of layers and influence egg composition, eggshell thickness, and the sensory quality of eggs.
CONCLUSION
It seems that with the increasing demand for healthy protein products, these compounds can be used to improve performance as a substitute alternative for chemical compounds in healthy poultry farms.
Topics: Animals; Chickens; Cymenes; Dietary Supplements; Monoterpenes; Poultry; Thymol
PubMed: 34761555
DOI: 10.1002/vms3.663 -
Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) Sep 2022Due to the current concerns against opportunistic pathogens and the challenge of antimicrobial resistance worldwide, alternatives to control pathogen growth are...
Due to the current concerns against opportunistic pathogens and the challenge of antimicrobial resistance worldwide, alternatives to control pathogen growth are required. In this sense, this work offers a new nanohybrid composed of zinc-layered hydroxide salt (Simonkolleite) and thymol for preventing bacterial growth. Materials were characterized with XRD diffraction, FTIR and UV-Vis spectra, SEM microscopy, and dynamic light scattering. It was confirmed that the Simonkolleite structure was obtained, and thymol was adsorbed on the hydroxide in a web-like manner, with a concentration of 0.863 mg thymol/mg of ZnLHS. Absorption kinetics was described with non-linear models, and a pseudo-second-order equation was the best fit. The antibacterial test was conducted against O157:H7 and strains, producing inhibition halos of 21 and 24 mm, respectively, with a 10 mg/mL solution of thymol-ZnLHS. Moreover, biofilm formation of inhibition was tested, with over 90% inhibition. Nanohybrids exhibited antioxidant activity with ABTS and DPPH evaluations, confirming the presence of the biomolecule in the inorganic matrix. These results can be used to develop a thymol protection vehicle for applications in food, pharmaceutics, odontology, or biomedical industries.
Topics: Anti-Bacterial Agents; Antioxidants; Biofilms; Free Radicals; Microbial Sensitivity Tests; Thymol; Zinc
PubMed: 36234690
DOI: 10.3390/molecules27196161 -
Proceedings of the National Academy of... Dec 2021Thymol and carvacrol are phenolic monoterpenes found in thyme, oregano, and several other species of the Lamiaceae. Long valued for their smell and taste, these...
Thymol and carvacrol are phenolic monoterpenes found in thyme, oregano, and several other species of the Lamiaceae. Long valued for their smell and taste, these substances also have antibacterial and anti-spasmolytic properties. They are also suggested to be precursors of thymohydroquinone and thymoquinone, monoterpenes with anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antitumor activities. Thymol and carvacrol biosynthesis has been proposed to proceed by the cyclization of geranyl diphosphate to γ-terpinene, followed by a series of oxidations via -cymene. Here, we show that γ-terpinene is oxidized by cytochrome P450 monooxygenases (P450s) of the CYP71D subfamily to produce unstable cyclohexadienol intermediates, which are then dehydrogenated by a short-chain dehydrogenase/reductase (SDR) to the corresponding ketones. The subsequent formation of the aromatic compounds occurs via keto-enol tautomerisms. Combining these enzymes with γ-terpinene in in vitro assays or in vivo in yielded thymol and carvacrol as products. In the absence of the SDRs, only -cymene was formed by rearrangement of the cyclohexadienol intermediates. The nature of these unstable intermediates was inferred from reactions with the γ-terpinene isomer limonene and by analogy to reactions catalyzed by related enzymes. We also identified and characterized two P450s of the CYP76S and CYP736A subfamilies that catalyze the hydroxylation of thymol and carvacrol to thymohydroquinone when heterologously expressed in yeast and Our findings alter previous views of thymol and carvacrol formation, identify the enzymes involved in the biosynthesis of these phenolic monoterpenes and thymohydroquinone in the Lamiaceae, and provide targets for metabolic engineering of high-value terpenes in plants.
Topics: Cymenes; Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme System; Lamiaceae; Metabolic Networks and Pathways; Plant Proteins; Short Chain Dehydrogenase-Reductases; Thymol
PubMed: 34930840
DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2110092118 -
Scientific Reports Apr 2021The present study involved in vivo evaluation of the growth promoting effects of thymol and thymol nanoemulsion and their protection against Salmonella Typhimurium...
The present study involved in vivo evaluation of the growth promoting effects of thymol and thymol nanoemulsion and their protection against Salmonella Typhimurium infection in broilers. One-day old 2400 chicks were randomly divided into eight groups; negative and positive control groups fed basal diet without additives and thymol and thymol nanoemulsion groups (0.25, 0.5 and 1% each). At d 23, all chicks except negative control were challenged with S. Typhimurium. Over the total growing period, birds fed 1% thymol nanoemulsion showed better growth performance even after S. Typhimurium challenge, which came parallel with upregulation of digestive enzyme genes (AMY2A, PNLIP and CCK). Additionally, higher levels of thymol nanoemulsion upregulated the expression of MUC-2, FABP2, IL-10, IgA and tight junction proteins genes and downregulated IL-2 and IL-6 genes expression. Moreover, 1% thymol nanoemulsion, and to lesser extent 0.5% thymol nanoemulsion and 1% thymol, corrected the histological alterations of cecum and liver postinfection. Finally, supplementation of 1% thymol, 0.5 and 1% thymol nanoemulsion led to increased Lactobacilli counts and decreased S. Typhimurium populations and downregulated invA gene expression postinfection. This first report of supplying thymol nanoemulsion in broiler diets proved that 1% nano-thymol is a potential growth promoting and antibacterial agent.
Topics: Animal Feed; Animals; Cecum; Chickens; Emulsions; Gastrointestinal Tract; Intestinal Mucosa; Nanotechnology; Salmonella typhimurium; Thymol; Virulence Factors
PubMed: 33833292
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-86990-w -
Anais Da Academia Brasileira de Ciencias 2021The aim of this study was to investigate the combined effect of carvacrol, thymol and nisin against Staphylococcus aureus and the combined effect of carvacrol and thymol...
The aim of this study was to investigate the combined effect of carvacrol, thymol and nisin against Staphylococcus aureus and the combined effect of carvacrol and thymol against Salmonella Enteritidis. Minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) of carvacrol, thymol, and nisin for S. aureus were 200, 150 and 30 µg/mL, respectively. MIC of carvacrol and thymol for Salmonella Enteritidis was 200 µg/mL. A factorial method of independent variables was then used to study the combined effect of antimicrobials. Results showed that combinations of carvacrol-thymol-nisin (reduction of 1.2 log CFU/mL for MIC and 4.98 log CFU/mL for 2MIC), carvacrol-thymol (reduction of 1.33 log CFU/mL for 2MIC), nisin-thymol (reduction of 3.52 log CFU/mL for 2MIC) and nisin-carvacrol (reduction of 3.41 log CFU/mL for 2MIC) attained a significant inhibition of S. aureus. Similarly, there was significant reduction of Salmonella Enteritidis due to combined effect of thymol-carvacrol (reduction of 4.5 log CFU/mL for MIC and inhibition below detection limit for 2MIC). Therefore, the combinations of natural antimicrobials described in this work showed potential to be used as an additional barrier for food safety.
Topics: Anti-Bacterial Agents; Cymenes; Microbial Sensitivity Tests; Monoterpenes; Nisin; Salmonella enteritidis; Staphylococcus aureus; Thymol
PubMed: 34730626
DOI: 10.1590/0001-3765202120210550 -
Anti-protozoal activity of Thymol and a Thymol ester against Cryptosporidium parvum in cell culture.International Journal For Parasitology.... Apr 2021Cryptosporidium parvum is a protozoan parasite that infects intestinal epithelial cells causing malabsorption and severe diarrhea. The monoterpene thymol has been...
Cryptosporidium parvum is a protozoan parasite that infects intestinal epithelial cells causing malabsorption and severe diarrhea. The monoterpene thymol has been reported to have antifungal and antibacterial properties but less is known about the antiparasitic effect of this compound. Terpenes are sometimes unsuitable for therapeutic and food applications because of their instability. Esterification of terpenes eliminates this disadvantage. The present study evaluates the effects of thymol (Th) and a thymol ester, thymol octanoate (TO), against C. parvum infectivity in vitro. The cytotoxicity IC value for TO after 24 h of treatment was 309.6 μg/mL, significantly higher than that of Th (122.5 μg/mL) in a human adenocarcinoma cell line (HCT-8). In the same way, following 48 h of treatment, the cytotoxicity IC value for TO was significantly higher (139 μg/mL) than that of Th (75.5 μg/mL). These results indicate that esterification significantly reduces Th cytotoxicity. Dose-dependent effects were observed for TO and Th when both parasite invasion and parasite growth assays were evaluated. When evaluated for their activity against C. parvum growth cultured in vitro in HCT-8 cells, the anti-cryptosporidial IC values were 35.5 and 7.5 μg/mL, for TO and Th, respectively. Together, these findings indicate that esterified thymol has anti-cryptosporidial effect comparable with its parental compound thymol, but with improved safety margins in mammalian cells and better physicochemical properties that could make it more suitable for diverse applications as an antiparasitic agent.
Topics: Animals; Cell Culture Techniques; Cryptosporidiosis; Cryptosporidium; Cryptosporidium parvum; Esters; Humans; Thymol
PubMed: 33647675
DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpddr.2021.02.003 -
Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) May 2019One of the most important causative agents of visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is , which is mainly spread by and sandflies in the Old and New World, respectively. Novel...
BACKGROUND
One of the most important causative agents of visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is , which is mainly spread by and sandflies in the Old and New World, respectively. Novel and effective drugs to manage this neglected vector-borne disease are urgently required. In this study, we evaluated the toxicity of carvacrol, thymol and linalool, three common essential oil constituents, on amastigotes and promastigotes of . : in vitro experiments were performed by 24 h MTT assay. Carvacrol, thymol and linalool at concentrations ranging from 1.3 to 10 μg/mL were tested on promastigotes of . For in vivo test, two groups of hamsters () received 100 mg/kg of body weight/day of carvacrol and thymol as intraperitoneal injection on day 7 post-infection, followed by a 48 h later injection. The third group was treated with the glucantime as standard drug (500 mg/kg) and the last group (control) just received normal saline. On the 16th day, the number of parasites and histopathological changes in liver and spleen were investigated.
RESULTS
24 h MTT assay showed promising antileishmanial activity of thymol and carvacrol, with IC values of 7.2 (48 μM) and 9.8 μg/mL (65 μM), respectively. Linalool at all concentrations did not affect promastigote viability. In vivo toxicity data of carvacrol and thymol showed that the former at 100 mg/kg was the safest and most effective treatment with little side effects on the liver.
CONCLUSIONS
Overall, thymol and carvacrol are highly promising candidates for the development of effective and safe drugs in the fight against VL.
Topics: Acyclic Monoterpenes; Animals; Cricetinae; Cymenes; Disease Models, Animal; Inhibitory Concentration 50; Leishmania infantum; Leishmaniasis, Visceral; Liver; Male; Monoterpenes; Parasitic Sensitivity Tests; Thymol; Trypanocidal Agents
PubMed: 31151304
DOI: 10.3390/molecules24112072 -
IUBMB Life Jan 2019This review aims to summarize the anticancer effects of the natural monoterpene phenol derivative of cymenethymol and its derivatives as well as further molecular... (Review)
Review
This review aims to summarize the anticancer effects of the natural monoterpene phenol derivative of cymenethymol and its derivatives as well as further molecular docking study to correlate the interaction of thymol and biomacromolecules that involved in cancer cell growth. For this, an up-to-date (till July 2018) literature study were made through using PubMed, Science Direct, Web of Science, Scopus, The American Chemical Society, Clinicaltrials.gov, and Google Scholar databases. Literature study demonstrated that thymol, melasolv (3,4,5-Trimethoxycinnamate thymol ester), and Mannich bases of thymol have potential anticancer effects in various test systems, including mice, rats and cultured cancer cells through various anticancer pathways such as antioxidant/oxidative stress induction, apoptosis, anti-inflammatory/immunomodulatory, anti-genotoxicity, chemo-, and radiopreventive ways. A few earlier scientific evidences showed that thymol is less toxic to mammalian systems. In silico study of thymol and its derivatives against 17 essential proteins revealed that 6BVH (PARP-1) and 5LIH (protein kinase C) are the most efficient receptor protein for interaction and binding of thymol and melaslov for the cancer prevention and initiation. On the basis of the summary of this review and docking study, it is evident that thymol may be one of promising plant-derived cancer chemotherapeutic agents. © 2018 IUBMB Life, 71(1):9-19, 2019.
Topics: Animals; Anticarcinogenic Agents; Cell Proliferation; Cinnamates; Humans; Mice; Molecular Docking Simulation; Neoplasms; Poly (ADP-Ribose) Polymerase-1; Protein Kinase C; Rats; Thymol
PubMed: 30308112
DOI: 10.1002/iub.1935