Thyme (Thymus vulgaris) is an aromatic plant that grows in Mediterranean countries and belongs to the botanical family of Lamiaceae.

It reaches a height of about 20 cm. The most common species are:

• Thymus Citriodorus Aureus: intense lemon scent.
• Thymus pseudolanuginosus: soft to the touch but without perfume.
• Thymus herba-barona: rather low seedling and cumin scent.
• Thymus zygis
• Thymus mastichina
• Thymus capitatus
• Thymus camphoratus
• Thymus carnosus
• Thymus daenensis

It's an easily grown plant. If you put it in a jar, be careful not to wet it too much.

What it is used for and where

Food

It is used to flavour sauces, roasts, etc.

Medical

Some news on the health aspect.

Thymol is the most abundant phenolic compound  of thyme essential oil and has antioxidant properties. while among the flavonoids present, luteolin has anti-inflammatory properties and anti-nociceptive activity (1).

In a comparison between a denture cleaner and a thyme essential oil solution, thyme essential oil has been shown to be more effective in preserving the surface roughness of the base resins for dentures (2).

Among the health-related components, rosmarinic acid is one of the main bioactive components found in Thymus vulgaris with properties of protecting the skin from ultraviolet rays (3).

The proportion of thymol examined by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis showed a significant percentage ranging from 55.35% to 50.53% and a strong antimicrobial and antioxidant activity (4). 

The essential oil of two species Thymus camphoratus and Thymus carnosus, used in traditional medicine, have destroyed preformed biofilms of Candida albicans showing antifungal activity (5).

This study evaluated in vivo and in vitro the antitumour effects of a 0.1% and 1% administration of Thymus vulgaris in the diet of rats with breast cancer. Thymus vulgaris demonstrated significant chemopreventive and therapeutic activities against experimental breast cancer (6).

Cosmetics

Skin protectant. It creates a protective barrier on the skin to defend it from harmful substances, irritants, allergens, pathogens that can cause various inflammatory conditions. These products can also improve the natural skin barrier and in most cases more than one is needed to achieve an effective result.

Fragrance. It plays a very important role in the formulation of cosmetic products as it allows perfume to be enhanced, masked or added to the final product, improving its commercial viability.  The consumer always expects to find a pleasant scent in a cosmetic product.

Thyme studies

References_______________________________________________________________________

(1) Evaluation of Anti-Nociceptive and Anti-Inflammatory Effect of Luteolin in Mice.  Fan X, Du K, Li N, Zheng Z, Qin Y, Liu J, Sun R, Su Y.  J Environ Pathol Toxicol Oncol. 2018;37(4):351-364. doi: 10.1615/JEnvironPatholToxicolOncol.2018027666.

(2) Comparative evaluation of the effect of plant extract, Thymus vulgaris and commercially available denture cleanser on the flexural strength and surface roughness of denture base resin.  Namala BB, Hegde V.  J Indian Prosthodont Soc. 2019 Jul-Sep;19(3):261-265. doi: 10.4103/jips.jips_141_19.

(3) Thymus vulgaris alleviates UVB irradiation induced skin damage via inhibition of MAPK/AP-1 and activation of Nrf2-ARE antioxidant system.  Sun Z, Park SY, Hwang E, Zhang M, Seo SA, Lin P, Yi TH.  J Cell Mol Med. 2016 Sep 19. doi: 10.1111/jcmm.12968.

(4) Evaluation of Thymus vulgaris and Thymbra spicata essential oils and plant extracts for chemical composition, antioxidant, and antimicrobial properties.  Gedikoğlu A, Sökmen M, Çivit A.  Food Sci Nutr. 2019 Apr 2;7(5):1704-1714. doi: 10.1002/fsn3.1007

(5) Unveiling the Antifungal Potential of Two Iberian Thyme Essential Oils: Effect on C. albicans Germ Tube and Preformed Biofilms.  Alves M, Gonçalves MJ, Zuzarte M, Alves-Silva JM, Cavaleiro C, Cruz MT, Salgueiro L.  Front Pharmacol. 2019 May 2;10:446. doi: 10.3389/fphar.2019.00446

(6) Anticancer Activities of Thymus vulgaris L. in Experimental Breast Carcinoma in Vivo and in Vitro.  Kubatka P, Uramova S, Kello M, Kajo K, Samec M, Jasek K, Vybohova D, Liskova A, Mojzis J, Adamkov M, Zubor P, Smejkal K, Svajdlenka E, Solar P, Samuel SM, Zulli A, Kassayova M, Lasabova Z, Kwon TK, Pec M, Danko J, Büsselberg D.  Int J Mol Sci. 2019 Apr 9;20(7). pii: E1749. doi: 10.3390/ijms20071749.