Lemon Thyme

Lemon Thyme (Thymus x citriodorus)
Thymus x citriodorus, an interspecific hybrid between Thymus vulgaris (Thyme) and Thymus pulegioides (Broad-leaved Thyme) is a perennial subshrub in the mint family (Lamiaceae). This medicinal and aromatic plant has a rose-lemon-like flavor, supposedly inherited from T. pulegioides (Lundgren L, 1982; Stahl-Biskup E, 1995). Because of its pleasant aroma and flavor, Thymus x citriodorus is commonly found in various herbal tea blends and offered as a condiment for fish dishes (Jurevičiūtė, Ložienė, Bruno, Maggio, & Rosselli, 2019). A study has shown that its essential oils showed good effectiveness and the broadest spectrum of the samples evaluated for antimicrobial activity (Sacchetti G, 2005).
Historical Use
Historical information on the use of lemon thyme can be found in Nicholas Culpepper’s English Physician; and complete herbal written in 1798. Lemon Thyme has been used to strengthen the lungs and to purge the body of phlegm. An ointment made from lemon thyme has been used to remove warts and ease pains in the spleen.

Latest Research
- Investigation of antimicrobial activities and molecular characterization of the species belong to Origanum, Thymus and Thymbra genera by ISSRby Sibel Kerem on November 4, 2022 at 10:00 am
CONCLUSION: Staphylococcus aureus was the most sensitive and Pseudomonas aeruginosa was the least sensitive strain. The ethanol and chloroform extracts were the most effective solvents. ISSR markers were successful for determining high levels of genetic diversity and clustering the species belonging to the genera Origanum, Thymus, and Thymbra. Conducting molecular marker analyses facilitated in distinguishing the species correctly for molecular breeding studies. The studies identified the…
- Chemical characterization and bioactive potential of Thymus×citriodorus (Pers.) Schreb. preparations for anti-acne applications: Antimicrobial, anti-biofilm, anti-inflammatory and safety profilesby Ana S Oliveira on December 26, 2021 at 11:00 am
CONCLUSIONS: These results support the anti-acne value of different TC preparations for different applications. TC hydrolate by presenting higher biocompatibility, anti-inflammatory potential and the ability to modulate C. acnes virulence, can be advantageous in a product for everyday application. On the other hand, EO by presenting a marked antimicrobial, anti-biofilm and anti-inflammatory activities, still with some cytotoxicity, may be better suited for application in acute flare-ups, for…
- Diversity in principal constituents of plants with a lemony scent and the predominance of citralby Miho Hirai on August 2, 2021 at 10:00 am
In this study, we extracted essential oils from four species of plants with lemony scents (Melissa officinalis L., Aloysia citriodora Palau (= Lippia citriodora (Palau) Kunth), Thymus × citriodorus, Perilla citriodora (Makino) Nakai). We then examined the components of extracts using gas chromatography (GC) and GC-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). A comparison of components indicated that the largest proportions of essential oils were caryophyllene (25%) in M. officinalis, geraniol (50%) in T….
- Consumer-Led Adaptation of the EsSense Profile® for Herbal Infusionsby Célia Rocha on April 3, 2021 at 10:00 am
This work aimed to adapt the EsSense Profile^(®) emotions list to the discrimination of herbal infusions, aiming to evaluate the effect of harvesting conditions on the emotional profile. A panel of 100 consumers evaluated eight organic infusions: lemon verbena, peppermint, lemon thyme, lemongrass, chamomile, lemon balm, globe amaranth and tutsan, using a check-all-that-apply (CATA) ballot with the original EsSense Profile^(®). A set of criteria was applied to get a discriminant list. First, the…
- Phytochemical Characterization and Evaluation of Bioactive Properties of Tisanes Prepared from Promising Medicinal and Aromatic Plantsby Beatriz H Paschoalinotto on March 6, 2021 at 11:00 am
The chemical composition and biological properties correlation in several medicinal and aromatic plants is still underexplored, especially in its most common form of consumption as tisane. The present study aims to characterize the organic acids and vitamin E composition of five tisanes and their extracts by High-Performance Liquid Chromatography coupled to a diode-array detector (HPLC-DAD) and HPLC coupled to a fluorescence detector techniques, respectively, and the phenolic composition by…
References
Jurevičiūtė, R., Ložienė, K., Bruno, M., Maggio, A., & Rosselli, S. (2019). Composition of essential oil of lemon thyme (Thymus × citriodorus) at different hydrodistillation times. Nat Prod Res, 33(1), 80-88. doi:10.1080/14786419.2018.1434642
Lundgren L, Stenhagen G. (1982). Leaf volatiles from Thymus vulgaris, T. serpyllum, T. praecox, T. pulegioides
and T. × citriodorus (Labiatae). Nord J Bot., 2, 445-452.
Sacchetti G, Muzzoli M, Scaglianti M, Manfredini S, Radice M, Bruni R. (2005). Comparative evaluation of 11 essential oils of different origin as functional antioxidants, antiradicals and
antimicrobials in foods. Food Chemistry., 91, 621-632.
Stahl-Biskup E, Holthuijzen. J. (1995). Essential oil and glycosidically bound volatiles of lemon-scented
thyme, Thymus × citriodorus (Pers.) Schreb. Flav Fragr J., 10, 225-229.