Ethnomedicinal use, phytochemistry, pharmacology, and food benefits of Thymus capitatus

Ethnopharmacological relevance: Thymus capitatusHoffm. et Link. is an endemic medicinal plant to the Mediterranean region. It is used in folk medicine to treat various diseases including diabetes, flu, cough, flatulence, dermatitis, indigestion, respiratory disorders, asthma, rheumatic, diarrhea, and influenza. It is also used as antiseptic, analgesic, stimulant, and sedative.

Aim of the review: In this review, previous reports on T. capitatusconcerningits taxonomy, botanical description, geographical distribution, ethnomedicinal use, phytochemistry, pharmacological properties, and food benefits were critically summarized.

Materials and methods: Scientificsearch engines including PubMed, ScienceDirect, SpringerLink, Web of Science, Scopus, Wiley Online, Scifnder, and Google Scholar were consulted to gather data on T. capitatus. The data presented in this work summarize T. capitatus phytochemical compounds, ethnomedicinaluses, pharmacological properties, and food value.

Results: In traditional medicine, T. capitatusis used to treat various illnesses including diabetes, dermatitis, and diarrhea. The essential oils and extracts of T. capitatus exhibited several biological properties such as antibacterial, antioxidant, antifungal, antiparasitic, hypoglycemic, anticancer, antiviral, and hepatoprotective effects. T. capitatus possesses high nutritional value and its essential oil showed promising activity in food preservation. Phytochemical characterization of T. capitatus revealed the presence of several classes of secondary metabolites such as terpenoids, flavonoids, and phenolic acids.

Conclusions: Ethnomedicinal surveys indicated the use of T. capitatus for the treatment of various disorders. Pharmacological reports showed that T. capitatus especially its essential oils, exhibited potent antimicrobial, antioxidant, antidiabetic and hepatoprotective effects. These findings confirmed the link between traditional medicinal use and scientific biological results. Moreover, T. capitatus exhibited a potent food preservative effect which justifies its use in traditional medicine as a food additive. In light of these findings, further studies to validate the industrial applications of T. capitatus essential oils as a food additive are required. Further investigations on the in vivo pharmacological properties of T. capitatus are strongly recommended to validate the results of its clinical uses as an antimicrobial, hepatoprotective, and antiviral agent. Toxicological tests and pharmacokinetic investigations are also needed to validate the safety and efficacy ofT. capitatus and its bioactive compounds.