Pharmacological Potential of Thymol

Thymol, belongs to a class of naturally presenting phenols with a ten-carbon unit, chemically known as 2-isopropyl-5-methylphenol (C10H14O), is a colourless crystalline monoterpene phenol found in the seeds of Nigella sativa and oil of thyme. Thymol is an active ingredient of several plants as Thymus vulgaris, Thymbra spicata, Thymus ciliates, Trachyspermum ammi and Monarda fistulosa. This versatile molecule is incorporated as a useful ingredient in many food products and finds application in agricultural, pharmaceutical, fragrance, cosmetic, flavour and other industries. For centuries, it has been used in traditional system of medicine and has been shown to possess various beneficial therapeutic effects, including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antifungal, local anaesthetic, antiseptic and radio- and cardioprotective effects. The noteworthy effects of thymol are largely attributed to its anti-inflammatory (via inhibiting recruitment of cytokines and chemokines), antioxidant (via scavenging of free radicals, enhancing the endogenous enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidants and chelation of metal ions) and antihyperlipidemic (via increasing the levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and decreasing the levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol in the circulation and membrane stabilization) (via maintaining ionic homeostasis) effects. It is significant to say that thymol is one of the most powerful contenders in the race of phytochemicals of natural origin with polypharmacological properties against an array of maladies.