Garden Thyme
This book, as well as an 1807 edition of Culpeper’s herbal, is available in the John R. Martin Rare Book Room in Hardin Library for the Health Sciences.
Thyme (Thymus vulgaris)
Native to the Mediterranean region of Europe but cultivated in many part of the world, Thyme is a perennial member of the Mint family commonly used as a culinary herb (Erol et al., 2014; Vetvicka & Vetvickova, 2016). Ancient Sumerian and Egyptian cultures used Thyme to embalm the dead and for its medicinal properties; the Romans flavored cheese and alcoholic beverages with it, and burned it to ward off dangerous animals (Halmai, 1972). In modern times, Thyme has been used to treat bronchitis, laryngitis, whooping cough, sore throat, colds, pneumonia, asthma, diarrhea, gastritis, headache, ringworm, athlete’s foot, scabies, herpes, and wounds (Akram & Rashid, 2017). Some of these diverse used may be related to reports documenting Thyme’s antimicrobial activity (Sienkiewicz, Łysakowska, Denys, & Kowalczyk, 2012).
Historical Use
Historical information on the use of Thyme is included in Nicolas Culpepper’s book The English Physician and Complete Herbal written in 1652. Thyme has been used to strengthen the lungs, to purge the body of phlegm, as a remedy for shortness of breath, and to kill worms in the belly. It was applied as an ointment to remove “hot swellings” and warts, and to ease pains in the spleen, the loins, and hips. Ingested, Thyme would provide comfort to the stomach and promote flatulence.
Latest Research
- Phytochemical Analysis, Antioxidant and Antibacterial Activities, Minerals Element Profiling, and Identification of Bioactive Compounds by UPLC-HRMS Orbitrap in Four Aromatic and Medicinal Plantsby Aicha Boubker on March 27, 2025 at 10:00 am
Four aromatic and therapeutic plants, Thymus vulgaris, Rosmarinus officinalis, Pimpinella anisum, and Foeniculum vulgare, were examined in this comparative study. The objectives were to assess its phytochemical composition; polyphenol, flavonoid, and tannin content; antioxidant and antibacterial activity; bioactive molecule identification; and critical trace element quantification. Its aqueous and organic extracts were examined, focusing on ethanolic extracts. The ethanolic extract’s ability to…
- Trends in plant tissue culture, production, and secondary metabolites enhancement of medicinal plants: a case study of thymeby Aicha Nordine on March 10, 2025 at 10:00 am
Thymus plants are greatly threatened by overharvesting and climate change. Plant cell and tissue culture techniques provide effective alternatives for the production and the enhancement of both biomass and bioactive compounds. Medicinal and aromatic plants are rich sources of various bioactive compounds known as secondary metabolites, which are used across a range of fields, including medicinal, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, perfumes, agrochemicals and agrofood industries. Thyme is considered one…
- Medicinal Plants Exhibited Promising Potential to Inhibit Biofilm Formation by Catheter-Associated Bacteria in UTI Patients from Lahore, Pakistanby Iram Liaqat on January 29, 2025 at 11:00 am
The current study was designed to evaluate the antibacterial, antibiofilm, and biofilm inhibitory potential of six medicinal plants, including Trachyspermum ammi, Trigonella foenum-graecum, Nigella sativa, Thymus vulgaris, Terminalia arjuna, and Ipomoea carneaid against catheter-associated bacteria (CAB). Eighteen CAB were identified up to species level using 16S rRNA gene sequencing, viz., Klebsiella pneumoniae, Staphylococcus aureus, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. T. ammi essential oil and T….
- Validation of the traditional antimicrobial use of the Iranian medicinal plant Thymus daenensis Celak through phytochemical characterization of its bioactive constituentsby Marzieh Rahmani Samani on May 27, 2024 at 10:00 am
Thymus daenensis Celak (Lamiaceae family), known as denaian thyme, is an Iranian endemic plant, commonly used for its carminative, expectorant, antibacterial and antifungal properties. Previous studies report the chemical profile of the essential oil of T. daenensis aerial parts, but little is known about its non volatile constituents. Herein, phytochemical and biological investigation of the polar extract of T. daenensis aerial parts to provide further insight into traditional use of this plant…
- Comparative phytochemical study of methanolic and ethanolic extracts of Thymus linearis and their antibacterial and antioxidant potentialby Hafiz Amir Nadeem on January 9, 2024 at 11:00 am
Thymus linearis (Thyme) is a medicinal plant widely distributed throughout Asia. Various parts of thyme are utilized for diverse medicinal purposes, including its use as a tonic and diuretic, for cough relief, as a flavoring agent, in treating dysentery, and for alleviating stomach disorders. Numerous studies have been conducted to explore the unexploited potential of thyme. Thyme was collected from the northern region of Pakistan, and sun-mediated extraction was conducted. Phytochemical…
References
Akram, M., & Rashid, A. (2017). Anti-coagulant activity of plants: mini review. Journal of Thrombosis and Thrombolysis, 44(3), 406-411. doi:10.1007/s11239-017-1546-5
Erol, S., Aydin, B., Dilli, D., Okumus, N., Zenciroglu, A., & Gunduz, M. (2014). An interesting newborn case of fructose 1-6 diphosphatase deficiency triggered after thyme juice ingestion. Clínica y Laboratorio, 60(1), 151-153. doi:10.7754/clin.lab.2013.130245
Halmai, J. (1972). Common thyme (Thymus vulgaris) as employed for the ancient methods of embalming. Therapia Hungarica, 20(4), 162-165.
Sienkiewicz, M., Łysakowska, M., Denys, P., & Kowalczyk, E. (2012). The antimicrobial activity of thyme essential oil against multidrug resistant clinical bacterial strains. Microb Drug Resist, 18(2), 137-148. doi:10.1089/mdr.2011.0080
Vetvicka, V., & Vetvickova, J. (2016). Essential Oils from Thyme (Thymus vulgaris): Chemical Composition and Biological Effects in Mouse Model. Journal of Medicinal Food, 19(12), 1180-1187. doi:10.1089/jmf.2016.0029
Other Links
Natural Medicines record for Thyme (access UI only)