Chromatographic profile and cytogenotoxic activity of thyme (Thymus vulgaris L.) essential oil cultivated in two seasons
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5902/2179460X89744Keywords:
Allium cepa, Antiproliferative, Climatic seasons, GenotoxicityAbstract
Thyme (Thymus vulgaris L.) besides its wide use in the food and cosmetic industries, is also widely used for medicinal purposes, being used as an antimicrobial, fungicide and for the treatment of respiratory diseases, thanks to its antioxidant property. This work aimed to evaluate the chemical composition of the essential oil of thyme cultivated in a greenhouse in different seasons (winter and summer), as well as to evaluate its cytogenotoxicity potential. Experiments were conducted in a greenhouse with a nutrient solution supplied to the plants through a drip tape connected to a submerged pump inside a reservoir. The essential oil of thyme was extracted by the hydrodistillation method. Gas chromatography (GC) was used to profile the essential oil chemicals, and the in vivo Allium cepa L. test was employed to analyze the cytotoxic and genotoxic potential. The data were subjected to analysis of variance (ANOVA) and compared by Skott-Knott test. The GC data were subjected to cluster analysis and showed thymol as the majority substance in the oil in both winter (52.41%) and summer (45.94%). The essential oil showed antiproliferative activity at the highest concentration tested (0.25%) and genotoxic effect, by A. cepa test.
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