THYMUS VULGARIS
Fresh Thyme showing leaves and stem on the
left, dried thyme leaves on the right.
Latin
name:
Thymus Vulgaris L.
Standardized
common name Thyme
Common
names: Common Thyme
Other
common names: English Thyme, Garden thyme, Lemon
Thyme, Mother of Thyme
Family:
Lamianceae
Authored
by:
ANNA T ATHIENO
Parts
used:
Thymus
vulgaris (fl vs If)
Botanical
description:
Thymus Vulgaris L.has got many woody
stems growing upwards. The stem has tiny straight pointed green and yellow leaves
which are opposite and sessile with some white dots. It is said to have whorled flowers although I
was not able to see any flowers. In the bastyr garden it is growing among other
plants in the Lamianceae family. The branches are thin and spread out.
Habitat
On the plant use website, the natural habitat of Thyme
is listed as Mediterranean, hot, dry summers, cool and wet winters. It also grows
at temperatures between 4-28 degrees Celsius but optimally at 16 degrees, it is listed as hardy at -15 degrees Celsius. Thyme is also said to be drought tolerant
although a little water during dry periods is helpful. It can also grow in heavy
wet soils , it may die quickly .There is some thyme being cultivated in the Bastyr
garden with a climate considered
to be Marine west coast with damp , cool winters and mild , dry summers (The weather of the pacific north west)
Taste
& Energetic properties:
Energetics:
Aromatic, sweet, tastes like cow urine, it’s irritating to the lungs.
Tendencies: warming and
drying (herbal medicine from the heart of the earth)
When the
fresh leaves are chewed and swallowed it leaves a sharp piercing feeling on the tongue and
draws out a lot of saliva, it also made me cough a lot. Also when the dry
leaves are chewed on, it tastes herbie and bitterish . A hot infusion of fresh
thyme leaves tastes and smells like cow urine. An A decoction of dry thyme
leaves where I used the water extract as a base for the cough syrup
with a mixture of union and honey . The syrup had the strong aromatic smell and tasted sweet most likely because of the honey but after swallowing it a caused a mouth
full of saliva and also made me cough and hence the likely irritation to the lungs.
When thyme is added to rice as spice, it gives the rice a nice aroma and it
tastes like curry but when rice is boiled with thyme t gives the rice a spicy
taste (My experience)
Doctrine
of Signatures:
Because Thyme attracts bees, it can be used as a
flavoring in honey. Also Thyme stimulates the thymus gland (Earth wise herbal page
484)
Actions
section
Expectorant and secromotor
activities: An experiment showed that saponin extract
from T. vulgaris proved that thyme oil
had an effect of secromotor activity , also there was stimulation of ciliary movement of the pharynx of mucosa
frogs that were treated with thyme oil dilutions .Thyme extract also
showed an increase in mucus secretion of
the bronchi . (WHO monographs on selected medicinal plants.-Vol. 1.)
Antifungal and
Antibacterial activities : Invitro studies have shown that thyme essential oils and thymol
have antifungal activities against
Cryptococus , neoformans , Asperquillas, Saprolegnia and Zygorhychus species .Both Essential oil
and thymol showed activity against Salmonella Typhimurium , Staphylococcus
aureus , Esherichia coli and other
bacteria species (WHO monographs on selected medicinal plants.-Vol. 1.)
Anti-mutagenic : In cooking
Lutcoin a flavonoid isolated
from thyme showed
ant mutagenic activity in
vitro against dietary
carcinogen formed during cooking
. An extract of thyme also showed
ant mutagenesis with
modulating effects on DNA repair of
ecoli which is said to be a result of
stimulating of error free repair
principles and practice of phytotherapy modern herbal medicine (WHO monographs on selected
medicinal plants.-Vol. 1.)
Anti-spasmodic:
Although the volatile oil of thyme
was proven to have antispasmodic effect .The assumption of anon volatile principle inspired a
study which focused on flavonoids
and found that Flavonones and thyme extracts were effective on smooth muscle guinea pigs .
Also In vitro it was found that the Flavone of Thymus vulgaris are calcium
channel blockers and musculotropic agents which act
on the smooth muscles by reducing the
contraction of arteries and increasing the arterial diameter. (WHO monographs
on selected medicinal p-Vol. 1.)
Antioxidant: Rosmarinic
acid also showed antioxidant
activity in vitro in inhibiting
lipid peroxidation, reduced
production of superoxide anion radical; and also inhibited the external
oxidative effects of polymorph nuclear granulocytes .The
biphenyl compound and eriodictol isolated from
thyme showed antioxidant
properties by inhibiting superoxide production and the biphenyl
compound showed efficiency as it
protected red blood cells
against oxidative hemolysis .(Principles and practice of phytotherapy )
Ant allergic and anti inflammatory activity:
Rosmarinic acid inhibited immune hemolysis of enterocytes in vitro which was due to inhibition of the
classic complements pathway. Also when it was administered orally, it showed
inhibition of passive cutaneous anaphylaxis in a rat. Also a study showed that thymus
inhibited neutrophil chemotaxis
in vitro .There was a positive
correlation observed between
superoxide anion generation in neutrophils and inhibition of neutrophil
chemotaxis .Thyme also exhibited
allergic reaction by inhibiting
beta hexasaminadase release
from rat basophilic leukemia cells invitro .(WHO monographs on selected
medicinal p-Vol. 1. )
Neurological activity:
Carvacol was screened for pharmacological effects on the central nervous system
and it was found to have anxiolytic activity when administered orally in mice.
Also when with oral dosage of about 12.5g to 50g of
carvacol , antidepressant effects were observed and was assumed to be due to an
increase in dopamanic levels .
.(WHO monographs
on selected medicinal p-Vol. 1.)
Constituents
Essential oil (borneol, carvacol, cymol, linalool,
thymol).
Bitter
principle. (Herb farm) Thyme consists of Beta carotene, geraniol, Limonene.
Campor , Citra amino acids , caffeic ,Capyric , chlogenic , cinnnamic acid , Gallic
,vanillic and other essential fatty acids , salicylates , tannin , calcium ,
iron , magnesium , manganese , phosphorus,
potassium , selenium , Zinc , B-vitamins
and vitamin c .(The complete
herbal guide )
Flavonoids ;
Flavones apigenin and luteoline were found
to be important flavonoids
present as 0-glycosides and a glycones and are accompanied by many methylated flavones
also flavonols and flavonones are
not of much importance ( handbook of herbs and spices by Vk peter)
Tannins
and Phenolic compounds: Tannins are
represented by resmarinic acid a
depside of caffeic acid and dehydrocaffeic acid. Also free phenolic acids were
found like P-courmaric acid, syringic
acid and felulic acid (handbook of herbs and spices by Vk peter)
Pharmacokinetics
Thymol
(a thyme extract) was administered an ethanol dry extract
of thyme experiment with 12
volunteers where just thymol was administered and it was not detected neither in plasma and urine , but metabolites thymol
sulphate and thymol glucuronide was found in urine , only thymol glucuronide was detected in
plasma. The amount of the plasma only on the thymol sulphate was detected. The amount
of both thymol sulphate and glucuronide extracted was in 24 hour was 16.2%
+4.5%(The Journal of Clinical Pharmacology ).
Indications
and Effects:
Common cold .A person experiencing a cold
with chills ,sore throat , and
stuffed nose because it has
got expectorant properties
which would help to remove excess mucus
and as an irritating expectorant it will irritate the lining of the
bronchials such that the phlegm is coughed out .(new age herbalists ) drops of thyme oil in steam inhalation in hot
water can clear nose and throat also fresh
thyme leaves can clear a stuffed nose
. Also it would be useful
on someone with a viral infection when used as an antibiotic because it is a strong antimicrobial , it has got volatile oils so
as a steam inhalation would help someone with a lung infection.
Safety/Contraindications:
I didn't find any warnings
written
Pregnancy: No
data given and therefore should be used
with care or with permission from medical personnel.
No
information available concerning herb to drug interactions, drug and laboratory
interactions and pediatric use.
Classic
formulas:
In Dr. John Christopher’s
formula thyme was used both internally and externally. I Cup of water was sweetened with 1 table spoonful of honey and taken 3-4 times daily and used to treat infections , diarrhea and cancer .
Combinations
I would combine Thyme with Rosemary and sage
to make tea. Rosemary is atonic and improves immunity, and just like thyme has
got a high amount of Rosmarinic acid which is antimicrobial, antiviral and
anti-inflammatory also Sage which is antibiotic and is good for clearing
fevers, germs and phlegm. I would make a tea for treating a common cold and flu.
Preparations
and Doses:
Rosemary galdster
suggests a hot infusion of Thyme in
honey by adding thyme leaves and
flowers to a warm honey after which it left to steep for two weeks and is used
by tea spoonful.
A mixture of thyme with a facial steam to treat flu
and common cold, all the mucus drained out
and I didn’t have a stuffy nose the following day
however the coughing didn’t
stop .
A cup of
thyme tea take 3 times a day for three days cleared my sore throat.
Sustainability/Ecological
Issues:
Thyme is said to have the potential to modify the soil
through leaching water-soluble compounds from leaves and litter decomposition. (The
response of Bromus erectus to the presence of different Thymus vulgaris chemo
types. Ehlers BK1, Thompson J.) Thyme is out of danger because it can tolerate
most climates although well drained
alkaline soil and a sunny location favor it. However, good harvest practices
should still be practiced and better yet Thyme should be allowed to grow wildly
it’s okay to cultivate but the one that
grows wildly shouldn’t be destroyed.
Current
literature
Invitro study carried out to determine the
antifungal activity of essential oils obtained from Mentha spicata, Thymus
vulgaris and Laurus nobilis. (pubmed.gov)
A study was carried with an aim to evaluate the in vitro and vivo
anthelmintic activity of the essential oil of thymus vulgaris against H.
contortus and of its main component, the monoterpene thymol. Despite the
relative ineffectiveness of the oil in the in vivo test, it was the in vitro
results that validated the use of T. vulgaris oil as an anthelmintic agent. It
was found that the essential oil and thymol, which accounts for were effective
against the three main stages of H. contortus. The oil and thymol were also
able to inhibit egg hatching by 96.4-100%, larval development of Haemonchus
contortus by 90.8-100 %,)( Thymus vulgaris L. essential oil and its main
component thymol: Anthelmintic effects against Haemonchus contortus from
sheep.)(Pubmed.gov)
In vitro and in vivo
efficacy of carvacrol against Echinococcus granulosus was carried out. In the
study it was revealed that the germinal layer of cysts treated with
carvacrol lost the multicellular structure feature not only that but also when
40mg/kg of cavicorn was
administered during 20 days in mice with
cysts compared to the control there was a reduction in cysts size .(pubmed.gov
)
Personal
Experiences:
I liked Thyme
as a spice in fish or chicken but after
reading about how
it was a good expectorant , I
decided to experiment with it a little bit . I used it as
a facial steam to treat the cold and flu and
the following day the stuffy nose had cleared , I also made
tea with honey for the sore throat my
throat was cleared although I’m not sure if it’s
treating the cough or worsening it
because the more I tooke it the worse it got .
References:
Godfrey, Anthony, and Paul Richard Saunders.
Principles & Practices of Naturopathic Botanical Medicine. Toronto:
Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine, 2010. Print.
Tilgner, Sharol. Herbal Medicine: From the Heart of
the Earth. Creswell, OR: Wise Acres, 1999. Print.
Hoffmann, David. Medical Herbalism: The Science and
Practice of Herbal Medicine. Rochester, VT: Healing Arts, 2003. Print.
Allen, Gary. The Herbalist in the Kitchen. Urbana: U
of Illinois, 2007. Print.
World Health Organization. "WHO Monographs on
Selected Medicinal Plants - Volume 1." WHO Monographs on Selected
Medicinal Plants - Volume 1. World Health Organization, n.d. Web. 19 Oct. 2016.
Gladstar, Rosemary. Rosemary Gladstar's Medicinal
Herbs: A Beginner's Guide. North Adams, MA: Storey Pub., 2012. Print.
Mabey, Richard, and Michael McIntyre. The New Age
Herbalist: How to Use Herbs for Healing, Nutrition, Body Care, and Relaxation.
New York: Collier, 1988. Print.
"Thyme." Callaloo 30.1, Reading
"Callaloo"/Eating Callaloo: A Special Thirtieth Anniversary Issue
(2007): 111. Web. 19 Oct. 2011
Jacope. "Parsley, Sage, Rosemary, and Thyme:
Herbal Tea to Keep You Healthy." Delishably. Jody, 24 Aug. 2016. Web. 19
Oct. 2016.
Chillemi, Stacey, and Michael Chillemi. Natural
Cures for Common Conditions:. Raleigh, NC: Stacey Chillemi on Lulu, 2012.
Print.
Adjou ES, Kouton S, Dahouenon-Ahoussi E, Soumanou
MM, Sohounhloue DC. Effectof essential oil from fresh leaves of Ocimum
gratissimum L. on mycoflora duringstorage of peanuts in Benin. Mycotoxin Res.
2013 Feb;29(1):29-38. doi:10.1007/s12550-012-0150-y. Epub 2012 Nov 9. PubMed
PMID: 23334722.
"Systemic Availability and Pharmacokinetics of
Thymol in Humans." C Kohlert, G Schindler, RW Marz, G Abel, B Brinkhaus, H
Derendorf (n.d.): n. pag. Web. 2 Aug. 2002.
EDUCATE YOURSELF BUT SEEK PROFFESIONAL ADVISE BEFORE USE
Herbalist Anna Athieno(BSC)
Takecharge of your health, health is wealth .
www.miraclehealingherbs1.com
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