The Role of Natural Products in COVID-19
Hanadi Talal Ahmedah, Muhammad Riaz, Sagheer Ahmed, Marius Alexandru Moga in The Covid-19 Pandemic, 2023
T. vulgaris is a member of the family Lamiaceae and is well known for its essential oils. Extracts and essential oils of this plant have proven antiviral activity. Its active ingredients are carvacrol and thymol (Figure 11.16) [179]. They have a long history of being used for treatment of cough, upper respiratory tract, and bronchitis, etc. [180]. Thyme herb is active against human influenza virus, HSV and human rhinoviruses [179]. Its essential oils can inhibit the entry of virus into the cell or can interfere with the replicating viral entities. These have also proved to relieve the symptoms and complexities associated with viral infection like muscle pain, etc. This is done by reducing the amounts of interleukins 8 and interleukins 1β [181] and hindering the viral proliferation [182]. Antioxidants present in thyme extracts boosts and strengthens the immune system to cope with attacking viruses. Thyme extract is also used as a muscle relaxant, therefore, its use as a symptom reliever of COVID-29 seems to be effective [183, 184]. Their mode of action and time of maximum advantage should be determined.
Natural Variability of Essential Oil Components
K. Hüsnü Can Başer, Gerhard Buchbauer in Handbook of Essential Oils, 2020
Common thyme, Thymus glabrescens Willd., is a procumbent dwarf shrub, indigenous on sunny hillsides of southeastern and central Europe. Recently, in Hungary, eight populations at different localities have been investigated and new chemotypes identified (Pluhár et al., 2008). Four chemotypes contained thymol as the main compound in the oil (15%–34%), but the second and third main compound has been different in each of them. One chemotype contained only monoterpenes as major constituents (p-cymene 45%, geraniol 14%, and linalyl acetate 10%) while two other ones only sesquiterpenes (germacrene D 55%, β-caryophyllene 15%, α-cubebene 51%). 1,8-cineole and thymyl acetate/carvacrol/p-cymene chemovarieties were described in Croatia; a terpinyl acetate chemotype was reported in Bosnia; and linalool/thymol/α-terpinyl acetate, geraniol, citronellol, and carvacrol chemovarieties were mentioned in Bulgaria (Pluhár et al., 2008). It can be established that in this species—in contrary to the formerly mentioned ones—the main compounds could be relatively well grouped based on their chemical constitution: acyclic monoterpenes, menthane skeleton group, and sesquiterpene ones. This led us to conclude that intraspecific differences in this species are primarily the results of diversity in biosynthesis at the level of terpene synthases and not in the following transformations.
The Role of Herbal Medicines in Female Genital Infections
Megh R. Goyal, Hafiz Ansar Rasul Suleria, Ramasamy Harikrishnan in The Role of Phytoconstitutents in Health Care, 2020
Thymus vulgaris is highly recommended due to the therapeutic properties of its essential oils (thymol and carvacrol) that have antimicrobial activity against many pathogens. All parts of plants are used as medicine and in foods [25, 60]. Method of Use: 1–2 g dried thyme is infused in 150 ml hot water 90°C for ten minutes, and one cup is taken each night and rinse the vagina with the filtered and cooled thyme infusion for three times a day. One can also dilute a few drops of liquid extract in water and use it as a vaginal douche for 15 minutes in the evening before sleeping. The second method consists to reduce vaginal yeast infection by rinsing the vagina with a mixture of one teaspoon of sea salt, 5 drops of lavender essential oil and 5 drops of thyme essential oil [94].
Prevention and Detoxification of Mycotoxins in Human Food and Animal Feed using Bio-resources from South Mediterranean Countries: a Critical Review
Published in Critical Reviews in Toxicology, 2023
Amina Aloui, Jalila Ben Salah-Abbès, Abdellah Zinedine, Amar Riba, Noel Durand, Jean Christophe Meile, Didier Montet, Catherine Brabet, Samir Abbès
Furthermore, the beneficial role of thyme vulgaris has been documented in several studies. This plant is widely used as a culinary herb and has a long history of use for various medicinal purposes as well. There have also been studies of the application of thyme for its antiparasitic and antimicrobial properties. Thyme essential oils are also among the major antioxidants used in the food industry and cosmetics (Sharifi-Rad et al. 2017). Similarly, Hamzawy et al. (2012) evaluated the protective role of thyme vulgaris ethanol extract against oxidative stress and liver damage in rats fed AFs-contaminated diets and showed that due to its antioxidant proprieties, free radical scavenging activities and anti-inflammatory properties, this compound exhibited hepato-reno-protective properties against AF-induced liver and kidney injury in a dose-dependent way.
Phytochemical constitutes and biological activities of essential oil extracted from irradiated caraway seeds (Carum carvi L.)
Published in International Journal of Radiation Biology, 2023
Amina Aly, Rabab Maraei, Ahmed Rezk, Ayman Diab
It is noted that γ-irradiation-induced increase of phenolic and flavonoid contents compared to the controls that gave the lowest contents and there was a gradual increase by increasing the irradiation dose level, whereas the 10 kGy dose level gave the highest value of them followed by 5 kGy (11.20 and 5.86 mg/g oil, respectively). The current findings are consistent with those of Al-Kuraieefa and Alshawia (2020) and Aly et al. (2016) who indicated that γ-irradiation processing (5–15 kGy) raised the phenolic, flavonoid contents and antioxidant activity of thyme and Moringa oleifera, respectively. The induction of a chemical reaction that degraded the big molecules to smaller ones might be responsible for the increase in phenolic content. Therefore, the irradiation procedure may assist the utilization of thyme as a preservation constituent in the foodstuff and pharmaceutical industries. Also, Douar-Latreche et al. (2018) showed that the total phenolic content was highly elevated at the dose of 10 kGy in Thymus algeriensis essential oil. On the contrary, some studies observed no considerable alteration in the phenolic content among the control and γ-irradiated samples at 20 kGy dosages for Agaricus blazei (Huang and Mau 2007). Antioxidant compounds are essential as they can prevent tissue damage and protect the body from diseases caused by free radicals by preventing the formation of free radicals, scavenging them, or promoting their decomposition (Mahboubi 2019). The antioxidant potential of essential oil depends on its composition.
Tailoring and optimization of a honey-based nanoemulgel loaded with an itraconazole–thyme oil nanoemulsion for oral candidiasis
Published in Drug Delivery, 2023
Amal M. Sindi, Waleed Y. Rizg, Muhammad Khalid Khan, Hala M. Alkhalidi, Waleed S. Alharbi, Fahad Y. Sabei, Eman Alfayez, Hanaa Alkharobi, Mohammed Korayem, Mohammed Majrashi, Majed Alharbi, Mohammed Alissa, Awaji Y. Safhi, Abdulmajeed M. Jali, Khaled M. Hosny
For centuries, people have used the thyme plant and its EOs to treat infections related to the upper respiratory tract, the symptoms of bronchitis, pruritus brought on by dermatitis, bruises, and sprains (Kohlert et al., 2002). These days, it is frequently used in dental medicine as a disinfectant and as an expectorant for coughs brought on by colds (Nilima et al., 2013). It has antibacterial effects on both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, as well as antifungal, antispasm, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antiviral activities against human rhinoviruses, influenza viruses, and herpes simplex virus type I (Walther et al., 2020). There have been no cases of toxicity when the oil is taken at levels regularly used, and therefore it is generally regarded as safe (Eva et al., 2018; Salehi et al., 2018).