Planta Med 2014; 80 - P1L80
DOI: 10.1055/s-0034-1394737

Anti-inflammatory effects of Thymus zygis subsp. sylvestris essential oil in LPS-stimulated macrophages and microglia cells

V Rodrigues 1, C Cabral 1, 3, L Évora 1, I Ferreira 3, C Pereira 3, 4, C Cavaleiro 1, 2, 3, MT Cruz 2, 3, L Salgueiro 1, 2, 3
  • 1Center of Pharmaceutical Studies, Health Science Campus, University of Coimbra, Azinhaga de S. Comba 3000 – 354, Coimbra, Portugal.
  • 2Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Coimbra, Azinhaga de S. Comba 3000 – 354 Coimbra, Portugal.
  • 3Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, 3004 – 517 Coimbra, Portugal
  • 4Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, Azinhaga de S. Comba 3000 – 548 Coimbra, Portugal

The present study focuses on the anti-inflammatory properties and on the cytotoxicity of the essential oil of Thymus zygis subsp. sylvestris (Hoffmanns. & Link) Cout. from Portugal. This taxon is widespread in the Iberian Peninsula and it is used in traditional medicine in the treatment of catarrh of the upper respiratory tract, bronchial catarrh, stomatitis and halitosis. The essential oil is used in cutaneous infections, rheumatic pain, rhinitis and sinusitis. The essential oil was analyzed by gas chromatography (GC) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Major compounds were p-cymene (22.0%), thymol (19.2%), carvacrol (16.3%) and g-terpinene (7.4%). The peripheral and central anti-inflammatory potential of the oil was demonstrated by the inhibition of nitric oxide (NO) production in both lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated Raw 264.7 macrophages and BV2 microglia cells, respectively. Assessment of cell viability was made by the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. The oils significantly inhibited NO production in both cell lines, without affecting cell viability, at the concentration of 0.32µL/mL. These findings disclose safe bioactive concentrations of the oils that should be in depth investigated for putative application in the nutraceutical and pharmaceutical industries.

Acknowledgements: This work was funded through national funds from FCT – Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia under the project CEF/POCI2010/FEDER and PEst-C/SAU/LA0001/2013 – 2014.

Keywords: Thymus zygis subsp. sylvestris, essential oil, anti-inflammatory properties