Phytochemical Constituents, Safety and Efficacy Study of Thymus schimperi and Thymus serrulatus

Abstract

Background:The genus Thymus is one of the most taxonomically complex genera in the Lamiaceae family and it includes 250-350 taxa (species and varieties). T. serrulatus Hochst. ex Benth and T. schimperi Ronniger are the two species of thymus which are endemic to Ethiopia; locally known as Tosign. According to WHO 2018 report, NCDs (non-communicable disease) are estimated to account for 39% of all deaths in Ethiopia and Infectious diseases also represent a continuous and increasing threat to human health in developing countries like Ethiopia. In Ethiopia, 80% of the population use plant remedies or medicinal plants over centuries.Objective: The present study aimed to review Phytochemical-constituents, Safety and Efficacy Study of Thymus schimperi and Thymus Serrulatus. Method:A web-based literature search was done by using scientific databases including Pub Med, Science Direct, Google Scholar and Scopus. Searching was made using key words: Thymus, Thymus schimperi, Thymus serrulatus, phytochemistry, pharmacology, ethnomedicine, efficacy and safety.Results: T. serrulatus grows in Tigray, Gondar, Bale, in the highlands of Semien Shoa and Wollo whereas T. schimperi is widely distributed in Oromia, Amhara and Southern Nations Nationalities & Peoples Regions. T. serrulatus and T. schimperi belong to the chemotypes Carvacrol-Thymol. Carvacrol (63%), thymol (36%-38%), Thymol (49%) are the major constituent of the essential oil of T. schimperi collected from Bale, T. schimperi from Gonder, Shewa & Wello, T. serrulatus from the Tigray region respectively. Treatment of mice with 2000 mg/kg dose of the essential oil of T. schimperi caused 50% mortality indicating that it's the LD50 is about 2000 mg/kg. However, n-butanol fraction of the aqueous and crude methanol leaf extract T. serrulatus with the oral limit dose of 5,000 mg/kg showed no sign of overt behavioral changes and toxicity where the LD50 were above 10,000 mg/kg. n-butanol fraction and the crude aqueous extract of T. serrulatus has exhibited an increase in urine volume with the highest urine output at the highest dose (1,000 mg/kg) and an appreciable diuretic activity of 94% and 92% respectively. Conclusion and Recommendation:The essential oil of T. schimperi did not cause a rise in serum enzyme level and major organ damage (kidney and liver), but the dose range of 2000 mg/kg causes 50% mortality. The n-butanol fraction of crude aqueous leaf extract of T. serrulatus showed an increase in urine volume with the highest urine output at the highest dose (1,000 mg/kg) and appreciable diuretic activity (94%). Additional chemical isolation, development of dosage form, clinical trial and toxicological study is recommended.

Biogenic Synthesis of Magnetite Nanoparticles Using Leaf Extract of Thymus schimperi and Their Application for Monocomponent Removal of Chromium and Mercury Ions from Aqueous Solution

“…Figure 5(b) depicts the FT-IR spectrum of uncalcined Fe 3 O 4 NPs. The presence of strong and broad absorption band at 3420 cm -1 is caused by the presence of an O-H stretching vibrations of phytochemicals such as Thymol and Carvacrol [40] and was also due to absorbed water by The scanning electron microscope results confirmed that the grain sizes of the NPs were strongly dependent on mixing ratio of iron salts and leaf extract under the same reaction conditions. The SEM images clearly showed microstructural features and diverse morphologies for Fe 3 O 4 nanopowder.…”