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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 -
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 -
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 -
Journal of Advanced Pharmaceutical... 2021() (L.) belongs to Group B of the genus from (), which is rich in essential oils that exhibit antimicrobial efficacy, anti-inflammatory efficacy, antioxidant activity,... (Review)
Review
() (L.) belongs to Group B of the genus from (), which is rich in essential oils that exhibit antimicrobial efficacy, anti-inflammatory efficacy, antioxidant activity, and antitumor efficacy. These processing activities are because of its richness in carvacrol and Thymol. In this article, we will focus on , discussing the antimicrobial efficacy for its essential oil and extracts, in addition, cast light on mechanism of essential oil antimicrobial action. This study was conducted from March 2019 to February 2021. We have analyzed the results of studies on antimicrobial efficacy of a plant in the PubMed, Google Scholar, Elsevier over the past 15 years using keywords. essential oil and its extracts have an extensive antimicrobial efficacy give it a great importance in pharmaceutical and medical purposes.
PubMed: 34820307
DOI: 10.4103/japtr.japtr_106_21 -
PloS One 2022Interaction of thymol, carvacrol and linalool with fungal lipase and Human Serum Albumin (HSA) have been investigated employing UV-Vis spectroscopy Fluorescence and...
Interaction of thymol, carvacrol and linalool with fungal lipase and Human Serum Albumin (HSA) have been investigated employing UV-Vis spectroscopy Fluorescence and Circular dichroism spectroscopy (CD) along with docking studies. Thymol, carvacrol and linalool displayed approximately 50% inhibition at 1.5 mmol/litre concentrations using para-nitrophenyl palmitate (pNPP). UV-Vis spectroscopy give evidence of the formation of lipase-linalool, lipase-carvacrol and lipase-thymol complex at the ground state. Three molecules also showed complex formation with HSA at the ground state. Fluorescence spectroscopy shows strong binding of lipase to thymol (Ka of 2.6 x 109 M-1) as compared to carvacrol (4.66 x 107 M-1) and linalool (5.3 x 103 M-1). Number of binding sites showing stoichiometry of association process on lipase is found to be 2.52 (thymol) compared to 2.04 (carvacrol) and 1.12 (linalool). Secondary structure analysis by CD spectroscopy results, following 24 hours incubation at 25°C, with thymol, carvacrol and linalool revealed decrease in negative ellipticity for lipase indicating loss in helical structure as compared with the native protein. The lowering in negative ellipticity was in the order of thymol > carvacrol > linalool. Fluorescence spectra following binding of all three molecules with HSA caused blue shift which suggests the compaction of the HSA structure. Association constant of thymol and HSA is 9.6 x 108 M-1 which along with 'n' value of 2.41 suggests strong association and stable complex formation, association constant for carvacrol and linalool was in range of 107 and 103 respectively. Docking results give further insight into strong binding of thymol, carvacrol and linalool with lipase having free energy of binding as -7.1 kcal/mol, -5.0 kcal/mol and -5.2 kcal/mol respectively. To conclude, fungal lipases can be attractive target for controlling their growth and pathogenicity. Employing UV-Vis, Fluorescence and Circular dichroism spectroscopy we have shown that thymol, carvacrol and linalool strongly bind and disrupt structure of fungal lipase, these three phytochemicals also bind well with HSA. Based on disruption of lipase structure and its binding nature with HSA, we concluded thymol as a best anti-lipase molecule among three molecules tested. Results of Fluorescence and CD spectroscopy taken together suggests that thymol and carvacrol are profound disrupter of lipase structure.
Topics: Binding Sites; Circular Dichroism; Humans; Lipase; Molecular Docking Simulation; Protein Binding; Serum Albumin, Human; Spectrometry, Fluorescence; Thermodynamics; Thymol
PubMed: 35617167
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0264460 -
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 -
International Journal of Molecular... Sep 2020Monoterpenes, comprising hydrocarbons, are the largest class of plant secondary metabolites and are commonly found in essential oils. Monoterpenes and their derivatives... (Review)
Review
Monoterpenes, comprising hydrocarbons, are the largest class of plant secondary metabolites and are commonly found in essential oils. Monoterpenes and their derivatives are key ingredients in the design and production of new biologically active compounds. This review focuses on selected aliphatic, monocyclic, and bicyclic monoterpenes like geraniol, thymol, myrtenal, pinene, camphor, borneol, and their modified structures. The compounds in question play a pivotal role in biological and medical applications. The review also discusses anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, anticonvulsant, analgesic, antiviral, anticancer, antituberculosis, and antioxidant biological activities exhibited by monoterpenes and their derivatives. Particular attention is paid to the link between biological activity and the effect of structural modification of monoterpenes and monoterpenoids, as well as the introduction of various functionalized moieties into the molecules in question.
Topics: Anti-Infective Agents; Antioxidants; Monoterpenes; Structure-Activity Relationship
PubMed: 32992914
DOI: 10.3390/ijms21197078 -
ACS Omega Mar 2020The monoterpene thymol has been proposed as a valuable alternative to in-feed antibiotics in animal production. However, the effectiveness of the antimicrobial is...
The monoterpene thymol has been proposed as a valuable alternative to in-feed antibiotics in animal production. However, the effectiveness of the antimicrobial is comprised by its fast absorption in the upper gastrointestinal tract. In this work, two glucoconjugates, thymol α-d-glucopyranoside (TαG) and thymol β-d-glucopyranoside (TβG), were compared with free thymol for their potential to deliver higher concentrations of the active compound to the distal small intestine of supplemented piglets. Additionally, an analytical method was developed and validated for the simultaneous quantification of thymol and its glucoconjugates in different matrices. In stomach contents of pigs fed with 3333 μmol kg thymol, TαG, or TβG, total thymol concentrations amounted to 3048, 2357, and 1820 μmol kg dry matter, respectively. In glucoconjugate-fed pigs, over 30% of this concentration was present in the unconjugated form, suggesting partial hydrolysis in the stomach. No quantifiable levels of thymol or glucoconjugates were detected in the small intestine or cecum for any treatment, indicating that conjugation with one glucose unit did not sufficiently protect thymol from early absorption.
PubMed: 32201813
DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.9b04309 -
Oxidative Medicine and Cellular... 2022Doxorubicin (DOX) is an effective anticancer agent with a wide spectrum of activities. However, it has many adverse effects on various organs especially on the liver....
Doxorubicin (DOX) is an effective anticancer agent with a wide spectrum of activities. However, it has many adverse effects on various organs especially on the liver. Thymol, one of the major components of thyme oil, has biological properties that include anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities. Thus, this study was designed to examine thyme oil and thymol for their ability to prevent doxorubicin-induced hepatotoxicity in Wistar rats. Hepatotoxicity was induced by an intraperitoneal injection of doxorubicin, at a dose of 2 mg/kg bw/week, for seven weeks. Doxorubicin-injected rats were supplemented with thyme oil and thymol at doses 250 and 100 mg/kg bw, respectively, four times/week by oral gavage for the same period. Treatment of rats with thyme oil and thymol reversed the high serum activities of AST, ALT, and ALP and total bilirubin, AFP, and CA19.9 levels, caused by doxorubicin. Thyme oil and thymol also reduced the high levels of TNF- and the decreased levels of both albumin and IL-4. These agents ameliorated doxorubicin-induced elevation in hepatic lipid peroxidation and associated reduction in GSH content and GST and GPx activities. Further, the supplementation with thyme oil and thymol significantly augmented mRNA expression of the level of antiapoptotic protein Bcl-2 and significantly downregulated nuclear and cytoplasmic levels of the hepatic apoptotic mediator p53. Thus, thyme oil and thymol successfully counteracted doxorubicin-induced experimental hepatotoxicity via their anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antiapoptotic properties.
Topics: Animals; Apoptosis; Chemical and Drug Induced Liver Injury; Doxorubicin; Humans; Inflammation; Liver Diseases; Male; Oils, Volatile; Oxidative Stress; Plant Oils; Rats; Rats, Wistar; Thymol; Thymus Plant
PubMed: 35178158
DOI: 10.1155/2022/6702773 -
Renal Failure Dec 2023Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a syndrome characterized by an accelerating decrease in renal function in a short time. Thymol is one of the main components of thyme...
Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a syndrome characterized by an accelerating decrease in renal function in a short time. Thymol is one of the main components of thyme species and has a variety of pharmacological effects. Here, we investigated whether thymol could ameliorate rhabdomyolysis (RM)-induced AKI and its related mechanism. Glycerol was used to induce RM-associated AKI in rats. Rats received thymol (20 mg/kg/day or 40 mg/kg/day) gavage 24 h before glycerol injection until 72 h after injection daily. Kidney injury was identified by measuring serum creatinine (Scr) and urea levels and by H&E and PAS staining and immunohistochemistry (the expression of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA)). Renal superoxide dismutase (SOD), malondialdehyde (MDA), and oxidative stress-related Nrf2/HO-1 signaling pathways were measured. The expression of the inflammatory markers TNF-α, IL-6, MCP-1, and NF-κB was assessed by ELISA and western blotting. Finally, the expression of the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway was detected by western blotting. Glycerol administration induced obvious renal histologic damage and increased Scr, urea, and PCNA expression. Notably, thymol treatment attenuated these structural and functional changes and prevented renal oxidative stress, inflammatory damage and PI3K/Akt pathway downregulation associated with glycerol-induced AKI. In conclusion, thymol might have potential applications in the amelioration of AKI via its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects and upregulation of the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway.
Topics: Rats; Animals; Glycerol; Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen; Thymol; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt; Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases; Acute Kidney Injury; Oxidative Stress; Kidney; Rhabdomyolysis; Urea
PubMed: 37417222
DOI: 10.1080/0886022X.2023.2227728