Phytochemical Compounds, Acute Toxicity, Anti-Inflammatory and Antioxidant Activities of Thymus leptobotrys Murb Essential Oil

The present study was conducted to evaluate the acute toxicity and anti-inflammatory effect in vivo, as well as the antioxidant activity, of the essential oil of Thymus leptobotrys Murb. The results indicate that the tested essential oil is non-toxic, with an estimated LD50 of 2500 mg kg(-1) of mice body weight. The anti-inflammatory test revealed that, at a dose of 200 mg kg(-1), the essential oil reduced rat paw edemas by 89.59% within 3 h of oral administration, this reduction in edema size was greater than that obtained with indomethacin (75.78%). The antioxidant activity (IC50) of Thymus leptobotrys Murb essential oil was 346.896 mu g mL(-1) and 861.136 mg Trolox equivalent/g essential oil in the 2.2-diphenyl1-picryl-hydrazyl radical scavenging capacity (DPPH) and Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC) assays, respectively. The toxicity test reveals an LD50 greater than 2500 mg kg(-1) of body weight of mice which classifies it within category 5 of non-toxic substances that can be administered orally. These results suggest that the essential oil of Thymus leptobotrys Murb is not toxic, and it represents a valuable source of anti-inflammatory and antioxidant metabolites.

Automated summary

The study evaluated the acute toxicity, anti-inflammatory effect, and antioxidant activity of Thymus leptobotrys Murb essential oil. The oil was found to be non-toxic with an LD50 of 2500 mg/kg. At a dosage of 200 mg/kg, the oil significantly reduced rat paw edema by 89.59% within 3 hours, outperforming indomethacin (75.78%). The oil also exhibited significant antioxidant activity in the DPPH and TEAC assays with IC50 values of 346.896 μg/mL and 861.136 mg Trolox equivalent/g essential oil, respectively. These findings suggest that Thymus leptobotrys Murb essential oil is non-toxic and contains valuable anti-inflammatory and antioxidant metabolites.