Carvacrol: Health benefits from aromatic herbs (oregano, thyme)

Carvacrol is a phenolic monoterpenoid found in various essential oils.

Oregano, thyme, and bergamot contain carvacrol. It boasts a range of beneficial properties for potential clinical applications.

This compound has shown antimicrobial, antioxidant, and anticancer activities.

It showed antimicrobial efficacy against food-borne pathogens like Escherichia coli and Salmonella. It is attributed to a unique combination of its chemical characteristics.

Carvacrol, often used alongside thymol (another phenolic monoterpenoid found in these oils), exhibits high antioxidant activity and has been employed as a dietary additive to enhance the antioxidant status in animals (I.E. in poultry nutrition)

Preclinical studies suggest promising anticancer properties of carvacrol, particularly in breast, liver, and lung carcinomas, through (proapoptotic) mechanisms involving elimination of DNA abnormalities.

However, despite a well-defined toxicological profile, the lack of human trials hinders conclusive statements regarding its clinical relevance.

Carvacrol is a major natural constituent known for its various therapeutic effects, including antioxidant, anticancer, anti-obesity, hepatoprotective, and immunomodulatory properties.

In cancer, carvacrol showed anticancer abilities by affecting molecular pathways, inducing apoptosis, and disrupting mitochondrial function.

Furthermore, carvacrol exhibits antimicrobial activity against a range of bacteria, further emphasizing its potential health-promoting perspectives through various pathways.

A recent study explored the synthesis of carvacrol derivatives with a focus on anti-obesity and anti-inflammatory effects. Among the derivatives, one of them formed by linking carvacrol and naproxen, emerged as a promising candidate. This derivative showed inhibitory effects on lipid accumulation in cell cultures and a reduction in TNF-α levels, showing potential anti-obesity and anti-inflammatory effects in vitro.

Best Qualified Carvacrol-Oregano product List

In summary, carvacrol is associated with several potential health benefits:

Antimicrobial Properties:

• Effective against food-borne pathogens such as Escherichia coli, Salmonella, and Bacillus cereus.
• Demonstrates antimicrobial activity against bacteria, including Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomona aeruginosa, Coagulase-negative staphylococcus, Shigella, and Enterococcus.

Antioxidant Activity:

• High antioxidant activity, especially when used together with compounds like thymol.
• Successfully employed as a dietary phytoadditive to enhance antioxidant status in animals.

Anticancer Potential:

• Preclinical studies suggest anticancer properties, particularly in breast, liver, and lung carcinomas.
• Acts on proapoptotic processes, inducing apoptosis and disrupting mitochondrial function.

Anti-Obesity Effects:

• Carvacrol derivatives show potential anti-obesity effects by inhibiting lipid accumulation in cell cultures.

Anti-Inflammatory Properties:

• Carvacrol derivatives exhibit anti-inflammatory effects by reducing levels of pro-inflammatory cytokine TNF-α.

Cardioprotective Role:

• Some studies suggest potential cardioprotective effects.

Hepatoprotective Properties:

• Shows hepatoprotective effects by decreasing concentrations of liver enzymes like alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase (increased in hepatitis, for instance).

Immunomodulatory Effects:

• Carvacrol is reported to have immunomodulatory properties influencing the immune system.

Diabetes Prevention:

• Some research suggests it can play a role in diabetes prevention.

Antiaging Properties:

• Because of its antioxidant effect can prevent skin aging.

In summary, carvacrol presents itself as a versatile compound with the potential for various health benefits, including antimicrobial action, antioxidant support, and promising anti-obesity and anticancer properties.

While preclinical studies provide valuable insights, the lack of human trials suggests a need for further research to establish its clinical significance. The exploration of carvacrol derivatives opens up possibilities for developing compounds with specific therapeutic applications, offering potential avenues for addressing conditions related to obesity and inflammation.

Best Qualified Carvacrol-Oregano product List

References

Sharifi-Rad M, Varoni EM, Iriti M, Martorell M, Setzer WN, Del Mar Contreras M, Salehi B, Soltani-Nejad A, Rajabi S, Tajbakhsh M, Sharifi-Rad J. Carvacrol and human health: A comprehensive review. Phytother Res. 2018 Sep;32(9):1675-1687. doi: 10.1002/ptr.6103. Epub 2018 May 9. PMID: 29744941.

Imran M, Aslam M, Alsagaby SA, Saeed F, Ahmad I, Afzaal M, Arshad MU, Abdelgawad MA, El-Ghorab AH, Khames A, Shariati MA, Ahmad A, Hussain M, Imran A, Islam S. Therapeutic application of carvacrol: A comprehensive review. Food Sci Nutr. 2022 Aug 3;10(11):3544-3561. doi: 10.1002/fsn3.2994. PMID: 36348778; PMCID: PMC9632228.

Cacciatore I, Spalletta S, Di Rienzo A, Flati V, Fornasari E, Pierdomenico L, Del Boccio P, Valentinuzzi S, Costantini E, Toniato E, Martinotti S, Conte C, Di Stefano A, Robuffo I. Anti-Obesity and Anti-Inflammatory Effects of Novel Carvacrol Derivatives on 3T3-L1 and WJ-MSCs Cells. Pharmaceuticals (Basel). 2023 Feb 22;16(3):340. doi: 10.3390/ph16030340. PMID: 36986440; PMCID: PMC10055808.