Antimicrobial Activity of the Essential oil of Thymus capitatus against Helicobacter pylori

Abstract

Helicobacter pylori (H.pylori) is an infective agent and the main resourceful factor of chronic, active type B gastritis, peptic and duodenal ulcer, gastric carcinoma and mucosa-associated lymphoid tumors. Nowadays, pharmcological treatment of H. pylori infections attracts attention besides antibiotic treatment. The aim of this study is to analyse the chemical composition of the essential oils of Thymus capitatus and the antimicrobial activity against H. pylori. Aerial parts of wild-growing plant materials were collected during the flowering stage from three different locations. Essential oil composition analyses were performed simultaneously by GC-FID and GC-MS systems. The antimicrobial activity of the essential oil was tested by broth dilution method. The thymol percentage was determined as more than half of the essential oil composition of Thymus capitatus-Yedidalga (51.9%) and Thymus capitatus ñYıldırım (57.1%); however, the composition of thymol was 47.2% followed by 15.1% (p-cymene), 10.0% (γ-terpinene) and 5.7% (carvacrol) for Thymus capitatus-Boğaz/Girne. The essential oil from Thymus capitatus-Boğaz/Girne showed the lowest MIC and MBC values and the strongest bactericidal activity against H. pylori compared to the other tested essential oils. Bactericidal efficacy of essential oil of Thymus capitatus on H. pylori could have been affected due to the varied rates of major compounds. Thymus capitatus essential oil could be an alternative way for the treatment of H. pylori infections.

Plant Essential Oils as Healthy Functional Ingredients of Nutraceuticals and Diet Supplements: A Review

“…On comparing the EOs of three T. capitatus varieties from Cyprus, having 47–57% thymol, 5.7–8.5% carvacrol, 12–15% p -cymene, and 5–10% γ-terpinene along with >30 other components, MIC ranged 0.25–0.5 mg/L and MBC 0.5–1 mg/L, with the highest activity being recorded for the specimen having lower thymol and higher p -cymene and γ-terpinene. Besides the intriguing suggestion of a possible synergism among components, the activity against H. pylori was excellent for all the testes EOs, highlighting the potential in ulcer prevention [ 90 ]. Similarly, T. vulgaris EO was proven active against three strains of H. pylori isolated from gastric human biopsies in hospitalized cases of gastritis, ulcer, and malignant tumor.…”