Tymus

Tymus vulgaris L.

The thyme plant is an evergreen shrub native to southeastern Europe and the Mediterranean, varying in height depending on the species from a few centimeters to more than thirty, with a stem that becomes woody after the second year of life. For example, thyme (Thymus vulgaris L.) has seven different chemotypes (i.e., with "stably" different composition), six of which are located mainly in southern France and one in Spain. Harvesting, generally takes place from late June to mid-August, when half of the flowers are open. Particular care must be taken to respect the basal buds, which ensure regrowth and thus subsequent production. So when talking about thyme essential oil, it will not be enough to indicate the botanical name of the plant species, but one must also know what chemotype it represents and thus the marker that characterize it.

Distillation, that process used to extract OE essential oils, was first introduced in the East (Egypt, India and Persia) more than 2,000 years ago and then improved by the Arabs in 900 AD . The main constituents responsible for the many virtues of precious thyme essential oil are mostly phenols, particularly thymol(23% -60%), terpinene (18% -50%), p-cymene (8% -44%), carvacrol (2% -8%) and linalool (3% -4%). The bacteriostatic and bactericidal antioxidant activity of thyme essential oil was used for infected skin lesions and excoriations, including war wounds, as early as the latter half of the 1800s. Thyme was and is used as an antiseptic, antimicrobial, astringent, anthelmintic, carminative and tonic. Thyme is useful in cases of intestinal infections as well as Candida albicans. One of its constituents, thymol, is active against enterobacteria, may improve liver function and act as an appetite stimulant. Long used in bronchial and urinary infections.

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