BACKGROUND A comparative analysis by using static headspace (HS) and steam distillation (SD) GC-MS of the volatile and the semi-volatile secondary metabolites from leaves of cultivated Majorana syriaca. METHODS The essential oils endogenous to cultivated thyme were isolated and identified by HS-GC-MS technology and compared to those from SD-GC-MS. RESULTS The HS-GC-MS results showed that th...

BACKGROUND Oregano (Origanum vulgare), sage (Salvia officinalis), and thyme (Thymus vulgaris) are aromatic plants with ornamental, culinary, and phytotherapeutic use all over the world. In Europe, they are traditionally used in the southern countries, particularly in the Mediterranean region. The antimicrobial activities of the essential oils (EOs) derived from those plants have captured the at...

Thousands of one of Britain's most spectacular butterflies, which became extinct in the country in 1979, flew again this summer as a result of a careful research, reintroduction and conservation programme that provides a model for other flagship species. The British Large Blue (Maculinea arion) occurs across Europe and northern Asia and is one of six large blue species globally, all of which ar...

High blood pressure is the most powerful contributor to the cardiovascular morbidity and mortality, and inverse correlation between consumption of polyphenol-rich foods or beverages and incidence of cardiovascular diseases gains more importance. Reactive oxygen species plays an important role in the development of hypertension. We found that wild thyme (a spice plant, rich in polyphenolic compo...

Ras cheese samples were found to be predominantly infested with A. siro mite. Clove, thyme, rosemary and citrus essential oils showed effective acaricidal activity against Ras cheese mites (A. siro). essential oil. However, treatments of clove or rosemary essential oil negatively affected the cheese flavor. However, degree of acaricidal activity varied according to the type and concentration of...

BACKGROUND Plant allelochemicals released into the soil can significantly impact the performance of associated plant species thereby affecting their competitive ability. Soil microbes can potentially affect the interaction between plant and plant chemicals by degrading the allelochemicals. However, most often plant-plant chemical interactions are studied using filter paper bioassays examining t...

Eleven essential oils (EOs) were evaluated for their antibacterial properties, against Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococci (VRE) and E. coli O157:H7. EOs were introduced into Brain Heart Infusion agar (BHI) (15ml) at a concentration of 0.25 to 2% (vol/vol) to determine the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) for each pathogen evaluated. Results showe...

The present study measured changes in antioxidant enzyme activity in, and the phospholipid fatty acid composition of the ageing rat brain and tested whether dietary supplementation with thyme oil or thymol could provide beneficial effects. There were significant declines in superoxide dismutase (EC 1.15.1.1) and glutathione peroxidase (EC 1.11.1.9) activities and the total antioxidant status in...

Traditional medicine has maintained its importance in the world, and its use is rapidly gaining in popularity in industrialized countries. To cure illnesses and ailments almost 80% of the global population use traditional medicine, mainly medicinal plants. Today, according to the World Health Organization, 20,000 medicinal and aromatic plants are used in the world [1]. Long term experience has ...