Ingredient's Bio Activity

THYME (Thymus Vulgaris)


ABOUT THE INGREDIENT

Thyme (Thymus vulgaris L., Lamiaceae), a small subshrub native to the western Mediterranean region of Europe, has a long history of use and is a chemically variable species.


ACTIVE COMPONENTS

Thyme contains abundant amount of terpenoids, flavonoids, glycosides and phenolic acids.

Rich in Thymol and Carvacrol.


BENEFITS IN COSMETICS

 

ANTIMICROBIAL

Thymol, the active constituent of thymus vulgaris, possess potent antimicrobial properties.

Antibacterial

Thyme has bacteriostatic activity against most of the Gram positive and Gram negative bacteria including Staphylococcus, Enterococcus, Escherichia and Pseudomonas genera.

It exerts its antibacterial effect by the perturbation of the lipid fraction of the bacterial plasma membrane resulting in the leakage of the intracellular materials and by inducing the permeabilization and depolarization of the cytoplasmic membrane.

Antiviral:

Thyme exerts antiviral activity against herpes simplex virus type 1.

The action of EOs can interfere with the extracellular level, i.e., the penetration of the virus into the host cell, interfering with the structure of the viral envelope, or block viral proteins that are necessary for the virus to enter the host cells.

It exhibit antiviral activity against HSV-1. The resulting EOs disturbed the function of the Tat protein, which plays a key role in the HIV replication cycle and can therefore be an important target for antiviral agents.

Antifungal:

Thymol possess antifungal activity against C. albican biofilm.

The mechanism of antifungal activity is associated with its ability to be incorporated into the lipid layer, which increases the fluidity of the fungal cell membrane, disrupts its structure and function, and causes conformational changes in membrane proteins, the release of intracellular components, and cell disintegration.

 

ANTIOXIDANT

Thymol has antioxidant properties. It protects against the deleterious effects of free radicals both by absorbing or neutralizing free radicals and by augmenting endogenous antioxidants. It has potent superoxide anion, hydroxyl and DPPH radical scavenging and reducing capacity in a concentration dependent manner. Therefore, thymol protects against oxidative damage to lipids.

 

ANTI-INFLAMMATORY

Thymol and Carvacrol, the active constituents of thymus vulgaris, have anti-inflammatory activity. They significantly reduces the volume of pleural inflammatory exudates and decreases leukocytes chemotaxis.

Thyme suppresses the COX-2 (cyclooxygenase -2) and PPAR (peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors) activation. Therefore, it inhibits prostanoid release.