Author(s)

Wafaa M. Hikal^1,2*, Kirill G. Tkachenko³, Hussein A. H. Said-Al Ahl⁴, Hoda Sany⁵, Ali S. Sabra⁴, Rowida S. Baeshen¹, Amra Bratovcic⁶

¹Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Tabuk, Tabuk, KSA.
²Water Pollution Research Department, Environmental Research Division, National Research Centre, Giza, Egypt.
³V. L. Komarov Botanical Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Saint Petersburg, Russia.
⁴Medicinal and Aromatic Plants Research Department, National Research Centre, Giza, Egypt.
⁵Department of Botany (Plant Physiology Section), Faculty of Agriculture, Cairo University, Giza, Egypt.
⁶Department of Physical Chemistry and Electrochemistry, Faculty of Technology, University of Tuzla, Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Thymol is one of the most important phytochemical components because of its pharmacological and bioactive potential effects. This review focuses particularly on thymol as an alternative natural antiparasitic with potential use in the pharmaceutical industry. This is in line with the preferences of the natural products for treatment being safer and without side effects. The biosynthesis pathways of thymol and carvacrol have been discussed, and mechanism of action of thymol on parasites. Studies on thymol confirmed the activity of thymol as anti-parasite against anthelmintic, Trypanosoma ssp., Toxoplasma gondii, Leishmania spp., Plasmodium falciparum, Giardia duodenalis, Eimeria ssp., Cryptosporidium baileyi and Cryptosporidium galli.

Thymol, Chemical Composition, Biological Activity, Antiparasitic

Hikal, W. , Tkachenko, K. , Said-Al Ahl, H. , Sany, H. , Sabra, A. , Baeshen, R. and Bratovcic, A. (2021) Chemical Composition and Biological Significance of Thymol as Antiparasitic. Open Journal of Ecology, 11, 240-266. doi: 10.4236/oje.2021.113018.