Medicinal properties of Thymus vulgaris essential oil: a review

Abstract

Globally, the interest in essential oils has been steadily increasing over the last decades due to their beneficial health effects and the wide range of applications that are directly linked to a variety of pharmacological and biological activities. Thymus vulgaris L., also called common or garden thyme is a small perennial herb, which has been used over the years as food additive, but also as a valuable cure in several pathologies. It is believed that the medicinal properties of Thymus vulgaris are attributed to its essential oil, which is a mixture of monoterpenes. Moreover, the therapeutic properties of this essential oil are due to its main compounds, namely the terpenoid thymol and its phenol isomer carvacrol. Several investigations have indicated that thyme oil possesses strong antiseptic, antimicrobial, antifungal, antioxidant effects and therefore, all the aforementioned features make this essential oil a promising remedy in human and veterinary medicine fields. The aim of the present study was to review and highlight the medicinal attributes of Thymus vulgaris essential oil, apart from its nutritional value, in order to identify novel alternative cures in the treatment of both humans and animals diseases.