Thyme oil can inhibit COX2 and suppress inflammation (Carvacrol)

American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology ^ | Jan 13, 2010 | Unknown

[decimon]

Appearing in the January 2010 issue of JLR

For those who do not drink, researchers have found that six essential oils –from thyme, clove, rose, eucalyptus, fennel and bergamot—can suppress the inflammatory COX-2 enzyme, in a manner similar to resveratrol, the chemical linked with the health benefits of red wine. They also identified that the chemical carvacrol was primarily responsible for this suppressive activity.

These findings, appearing in the January issue of Journal of Lipid Research, provide more understanding of the health benefits of many botanical oils and provide a new avenue for anti-inflammatory drugs.

Essential oils from plants have long been a component of home remedies, and even today are used for their aromatherapy, analgesic (e.g. cough drops), or antibacterial properties. Of course, the exact way they work is not completely understood. However, Hiroyasu Inoue and colleagues in Japan believed that many essential oils might target COX-2 much like compounds in wine and tea.

So, they screened a wide range of commercially available oils and identified six (thyme, clove, rose, eucalyptus, fennel and bergamot) that reduced COX-2 expression in cells by at least 25%. Of these, thyme oil proved the most active, reducing COX-2 levels by almost 75%.

When Inoue and colleagues analyzed thyme oil, they found that the major component –carvacrol– was the primary active agent; in fact when they use pure carvacrol extracts in their tests COX-2 levels decreased by over 80%.

###

From the article: "Carvacrol, a component of thyme oil, activates PPAR-gamma and suppresses COX-2 expression" by Mariko Hotta, Rieko Nakata, Michiko Katsukawa, Kazuyuki Hori, Saori Takahashi, and Hiroyasu Inoue

Corresponding Author: Hiroyasu Inoue, Department of Food Science and Nutrition, Nara Women's University, Nara, Japan; Tel: +81-742-20-3458, Email: inoue@cc.nara-wu.ac.jp

The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology is a nonprofit scientific and educational organization with over 12,000 members in the United States and internationally. Most members teach and conduct research at colleges and universities. Others conduct research in various government laboratories, nonprofit research institutions and industry. The Society's student members attend undergraduate or graduate institutions.

Founded in 1906, the Society is based in Bethesda, Maryland, on the campus of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology. The Society's purpose is to advance the science of biochemistry and molecular biology through publication of the Journal of Biological Chemistry, the Journal of Lipid Research, and Molecular and Cellular Proteomics, organization of scientific meetings, advocacy for funding of basic research and education, support of science education at all levels, and promoting the diversity of individuals entering the scientific work force.

For more information about ASBMB, see the Society's Web site at www.asbmb.org.

[Maverick68]

bump

[decimon]

Excellent. A little Rosemary and...

[JoeProBono]

[decimon]

No, no, Rosemary, not rosemary.

[JoeProBono]

[neverdem]

thanks, bfl

[JoeProBono]

[decimon]

There ya go. I’d try that in lieu of medication. Why not?

[decimon]

Perfect to toss your salad. Just don’t procreate as you never know what you’ll produce.

[neverdem]

The source uses the Greek letters for alpha and gamma, respectively.

Carvacrol, a component of thyme oil, activates PPAR alpha and gamma and suppresses COX-2 expression

Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), the rate-limiting enzyme in prostaglandin biosynthesis, plays a key role in inflammation and circulatory homeostasis. Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs) are ligand-dependent transcription factors belonging to the nuclear receptor superfamily and are involved in the control of COX-2 expression, and vice versa. Here, we show that COX-2 promoter activity was suppressed by essential oils derived from thyme, clove, rose, eucalyptus, fennel, and bergamot in cell-based transfection assays using bovine arterial endothelial cells. Moreover, from thyme oil, we identified carvacrol as a major component of the suppressor of COX-2 expression and an activator of PPAR alpha and gamma. PPAR-dependent suppression of COX-2 promoter activity was observed in response to carvacrol treatment. In human macrophage-like U937 cells, carvacrol suppressed lipopolysaccharide-induced COX-2 mRNA and protein expression, suggesting that carvacrol regulates COX-2 expression through its agonistic effect on PPAR. These results may be important in understanding the antiinflammatory and antilifestyle-related disease properties of carvacrol.

For type 2 diabetes, Actos and Avandia are PPAR gamma Agonists

FWIW, but don't try any stunts on your own. Check with your doc.

FReepmail me if you want on or off the diabetes ping list.

[neverdem]

I have calcium in my heart as well as of the last check and it's likely everywhere. I am loaded with the stuff and there is no way that I know of or that the doctors know of to safely remove any of it.

If you don't have hypercalcemia, i.e. elevated calcium levels in the blood, check out dystrophic calcification at PubMed.

Good luck!

[El Sordo]

“Frankly speaking, a heart attack would be a blessing for me, but that’s another story.”

:(

Doesn’t seem like it would be a very happy story...

[Cold Heat]

Thanks! I’ll read it all.... I am getting pretty good with the latin.

[metmom]

I did begin a pretty strict low-carb diet to lose weight. Amazingly, my joint problems all but disappeared along with my flab. I don’t know what was my joint problem or if what worked for me would help you. But it’s a thought.

I've had to cut wheat out of my diet because of allergies and am eating oats now.

The weight is falling off, my BP is down, and my cholesterol dropped like a rock to the point where the dr is not ragging on me about statins.

[SunkenCiv]

;’)

[thackney]

Thanks for keeping up the ping list.

[Tunehead54]

Reference bump for Mom (84 & going strong ...) - Thanks! ;-)

[Cold Heat]

I recently cut out the statins...I was using Zocor for about ten years. I can't say the stuff was doing a damn thing, yet they kept on prescribing it like "everyone should take it" in spite of the fact my numbers were not coming down that much. After they raised the dose to 80mgs, they still saw little change and they still prescribed it. I began getting some muscle pain in places I had never had it before, and they still prescribed it.

I fired the doctor and the clinic, but the VA has a nasty habit of ignoring things so I just left and started going to a local Dr.

Government medical care! Everyone should have it....right???

I picked up a lot of weight this winter as is normal for me. I will try the oats thing, but I tend to put brown sugar and molasses on the stuff...Maybe I should just cut back to one meal per day which seems to work for me, but I can only do it during the summer months. Cold weather makes me eat like a starving wolf.

[neverdem]

You’re welcome. It helps me keep up with the topic. I try to read at least the abstract. The list about doubled in names since I got it.

[metmom]

Soups are good. You can make veggie soup and put in barley or steel cut oats, which work the same as barley in soup.

Fill up on lots of veggies, nuts, fruit, meat, and do the carbs last in the meal. That way, you’re partly full already and won’t eat as many carbs, as if you would when you have those dinner rolls to take the edge off for example.

You’re right, that adding sugar would be counter-productive.

Cutting out wheat and carbs is hard. I know cause I’ve tried. If I wasn’t forced to because of the allergies, I likely wouldn’t. OTOH, if I didn’t have the food allergies, I could eat better and it would be easier to cut out the wheat.

But for me, wheat is the kicker. I can lose weight eating all other grains. Except wheat.