Thymol, a compound found in several plants including thyme, oregano, rosemary, and bay leaves, also may be an effective preventive and treatment agent for oral cancer, according to researchers at the School of Dentistry, University of Texas Health San Antonio.
“Thymol is already known to have antimicrobial, antifungal, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant properties,” said School of Dentistry associate professor Cara Gonzales, DDS, PhD. “Our findings provide the first evidence of thymol’s novel anti-tumor effects against oral cancer in animals.
Due to its medicinal properties, thymol is used in mouthwash, cosmetics, and other products. In animal models of human oral cancer, the researchers found that thymol also was effective in preventing the proliferation of oral cancer cells. It selectively kills cancer cells by acting on their highly active mitochondria, which produce energy to allow them to grow.
“We show that thymol induces mitochondrial dysfunction and cell death, and it may be effective against several types of cancer,” Gonzales said.
UT Health San Antonio has a patent on a thymol mouth rinse to prevent oral cancer and on its mechanism of action to use as a treatment for oral cancer. The researchers hope to conduct human clinical trials in the future.
The study, “Thymol Inhibits Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma Growth Via Mitochondria‐Mediated Apoptosis,” was published by the Journal of Oral Pathology & Medicine.
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