X-Message-Number: 12309
Date: Mon, 23 Aug 1999 02:32:20 -0700 (PDT)
From: Doug Skrecky <>
Subject: beneficial effects of thyme oil

Authors
  Youdim KA.  Deans SG.
Institution
  Aromatic and Medicinal Plant Group, Scottish Agricultural College,
  Auchincruive, South Ayrshire KA6 5HW, UK.
Title
  Beneficial effects of thyme oil on
  age-related changes in the phospholipid C20 and C22 polyunsaturated fatty
  acid composition of various rat tissues.
Source
  Biochimica et Biophysica Acta.  1438(1):140-6, 1999 Apr 19.
Abstract
  The aim of this study was to determine any age-related changes in
  phospholipid polyunsaturated fatty acid composition, in particular C20 and
  C22 fatty acids in rat liver, brain, kidney and heart, and to assess and
  compare the effects of dietary supplementation (42.5 mg/kg
  body weight/day) of the natural antioxidant thyme oil and its major component
  thymol throughout the rat life span. The fatty acid composition in the
  various tissues from young (7 months) and aged (28 months) rats was
  determined and compared. Livers from aged control, thyme oil and thymol
  treated rats exhibited an increase in 22:6(n-3). In contrast, 22:6(n-3)
  content of brain, kidney and heart declined in aged rats in all three dietary
  groups. However, aged rats treated with thyme oil and thymol displayed
  significantly higher levels of 22:6(n-3) than the respective age-matched
  controls. Tissue compositions of 20:4(n-6) were found to be significantly
  lower in the liver and kidney from aged control rats but not those fed either
  thyme oil or thymol. In aged rats, the composition of 20:4(n-6) in all
  tissues was highest in rats fed either thyme oil or thymol. These results
  show that dietary supplementation with thyme oil tended to maintain higher
  PUFA levels in all tissues studied. The majority of protection provided by
  thyme oil was by virtue of its thymol component, which comprises 49% of the
  whole oil. Thymol administered alone did not provide significantly higher
  protection than the whole oil, suggesting that other components within thyme
  oil are also contributing antioxidant activity.

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