Waheed Marwa, Hussain Muhammad Bilal, Saeed Farhan, Afzaal Muhammad, Ahmed Aftab, Irfan Rushba, Akram Noor, Ahmed Faiyaz, Hailu Gebremichael Gebremedhin
Department of Food Science Government College University Faisalabad Faisalabad Pakistan.
Department of Nutritional Sciences Government College University Faisalabad Faisalabad Pakistan.
Food Sci Nutr. 2024 Nov 1;12(12):9893-9912. doi: 10.1002/fsn3.4563. eCollection 2024 Dec.
Thymol is a phenol monoterpene that is naturally derived from cymene and is an isomer of carvacrol. It constitutes a significant portion (10%-64%) of the essential oils found in thyme ( L., Lamiaceae), a medicinal plant renowned for its therapeutic properties. Wild thyme is native to the Mediterranean region and has been used in cooking and medicine for a long time. In contemporary contexts, both thymol and thyme offer diverse functional applications in the pharmaceutical, food, and cosmetic industries. Thymol has attracted scientific interest for its potential therapeutic applications in pharmaceuticals and nutraceuticals. Studies have explored its efficacy in treating respiratory, nervous, and cardiovascular disorders, highlighting its promising role in diverse therapeutic interventions. Additionally, this compound demonstrates antimicrobial, antioxidant, anticarcinogenic, anti-inflammatory, and antispasmodic properties. It also shows potential as a growth enhancer and has immunomodulatory properties as well. Other discussed aspects include thymol toxicity, bioavailability, metabolism, and distribution in animals and humans. This review summarizes the most significant data regarding the beneficial effects of thyme bioactive compounds and their applications as a food preservative while taking into account the thyme plant extract and its essential oil.
百里香酚是一种酚类单萜，天然源自异丙苯，是香芹酚的异构体。它在百里香（唇形科百里香属植物）精油中占很大比例（10%-64%），百里香是一种以其治疗特性而闻名的药用植物。野生百里香原产于地中海地区，长期以来一直用于烹饪和医药。在当代，百里香酚和百里香在制药、食品和化妆品行业都有多种功能应用。百里香酚因其在制药和营养保健品中的潜在治疗应用而引起了科学界的关注。研究探索了其在治疗呼吸、神经和心血管疾病方面的功效，突出了其在各种治疗干预中的潜在作用。此外，这种化合物具有抗菌、抗氧化、抗癌、抗炎和抗痉挛特性。它还显示出作为生长促进剂的潜力，并且具有免疫调节特性。其他讨论的方面包括百里香酚的毒性、生物利用度、代谢以及在动物和人类中的分布。本综述总结了关于百里香生物活性化合物的有益作用及其作为食品防腐剂的应用的最重要数据，同时考虑了百里香植物提取物及其精油。
