Persian Thyme (Thymus persicus): A Plant Containing Active Metabolites with Antioxidant, Anti-diabetic and Anti-Alzheimer Effects

Background: Thymus persicus is one of the Iranian endemic medicinal plants, that its decoction and various products have plenty of food and pharmaceutical uses. Objective: Evaluation of T. persicus products metabolite contains and determination of the best antioxidant, anti-diabetic and anti-Alzheimer extract. Methods: Samples total phenolic, flavonoid and tannin contents were determined by Folin-Ciocalteu, AlCl3, Folin-Denis reagents and for saponin content vanillin-sulfuric acid method were used. To the investigation of products antioxidant effect, DPPH and OH radical scavenging and phosphomolybdenum and ferrous ion chelating methods were employed. To evaluate of samples anti-diabetic properties α-amylase and α-glucosidase inhibitory effects, and to investigate of anti-Alzheimer potential, acetyl and butyryl cholinesterase inhibitory effect were measured. Results: Decoction and hydroalcoholic extract of T. persicus showed the highest phenol, flavonoid and tannin contents in comparison with the others. Ethyl acetate extract had the highest saponin content. According to the antioxidant assays, decoction and hydroalcoholic extract exhibited the best potential. In anti-diabetic (inhibition of α-amylase and α-glucosidase enzymes) and anti-Alzheimer (inhibition of acetyl and butyryl cholinesterase) assays, decoction and hydroalcoholic extract showed significantly higher power. Conclusion: The high ability of decoction and hydroalcoholic extract of T. persicus in antioxidant, anti-diabetic and anti-Alzheimer can be related to their high phenol, flavonoid and tannin content.