Antimicrobial, nitric oxide radical scavenging and cytotoxic properties of Thymus daenensis essential oil

Objective: Despite toxic effects of some essential oils, their use is not under control. With a view to increasing trend of utilisation of herbal products, some biological aspects of Thymus daenensis are repoted here for the first time. Materials and Methods: Antimicrobial properties using disk diffusion and dilution tests, nitric oxide radical scavenging by Marcocci et al method and cytotoxic properties employing dimethylthiazolyl diphenyltetrazolium bromide reduction test were carried out with Thymus daenensis and commercial Thyme essential oils and their main chemical compound, thymol. Results: The microbial sensitivity to the oils were in Candida albicans> E.coli> S.aureus> P. aeruginosa order. The minimum inhibitory and microbicidal concentrations were in the range of ۰.۰۴-۱۰mg/ml. Nitric oxide radical scavenging was dose dependent with an IC۵۰ of ۵, ۷۵, ۸۶۳ µg, and total phenolics of ۶۴۴.۰۷±۶.۷۹, ۱۶.۹۴±۲.۵۵, ۱۰.۳۳±۲.۳۱µg Gallic acid equivalent per mg sample and total flavonoid content of ۷۳.۵۱±۱.۳۴, ۰.۵۶±۰.۰۲, ۰.۲۱±۰.۰۹ mg Catechin equivalent per gram T.daenensis oil, commercial thyme oil and thymol respectively. The concentrations from T.daenensis oil, commercial thyme oil and thymol required to exert ۵۰% fatal effect (IC۵۰) on healthy human normal lymphocytes and Hela cells were ۱۴۵۵, ۱۲.۱۰, ۲۸۶۷ and ۴.۹۵, ۳.۶۱, ۱۷۳۰ µg respectively. Conclusion: T. daenensis with its good antimicrobial property can prevent formation of toxic reactive oxygen species and as a good antioxidant, it can directly scavenge NO and O۲−. With a view to cancerous cells killing properties of the oils at their lowest concentrations without fatal effect on normal healthy cells, feasibility of their application in combating cancerous cells may be promising.

کلیدواژه ها:

Antioxidant ، Essential oils ، Thymus daenensis ، Antimicrobial ، Nitricoxide ، نیتریک اکساید ، آویشن ، ضد میکروب ، آنتی اکسیدان ، روغن های اسانسی