Current Traditional Medicine - Volume 11, Issue 6, 2025

Thymol, also known as 2-isopropyl-5-methylphenol, is a secondary metabolite found in plants, particularly in the Lamiaceae family, like thyme, peppermint, sage, and lavender. As a terpene, it contributes to the aroma, flavor, and color of plants while also serving as a natural defense mechanism against pests, diseases, and environmental threats. Thymol exhibits bioactive properties, including antiseptic, anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, and anti-inflammatory effects, making it valuable for treating various infections and diseases. Additionally, thymol is utilized in personal care products and functions as a preservative in foods and pharmaceuticals. The objective of this study is to give an overview based on patent analysis and a patent review of thymol’s innovative health and medicine applications. We analyze data from patent documents that highlight the thymol extraction process and its applications in the fields of health and medicine. Data were extracted from different specialized patent databases. After patent analysis, a selection of relevant patents for thymol has been made. Finally, to propose relevant health-related patent documents, sorting was realized using the International Patent Classification (IPC). The study focused on the medicinal purposes of thymol. Our results present a statistical study of 2,319 patent documents published between 1972 and 2023. Thus, IPC data show that 82% of the codes assigned to the documents studied concern preparations for medical, dental, or toilet preparations. The first part of the patent documents that have been presented illustrates thymol’s natural or synthetic origin, and the second part shows its therapeutic applications. Thymol’s bioactivities make it a useful natural candidate for pharmaceutical formulation as well as for cosmetic compositions. Document patents, as presented in this study, affirm thymol’s therapeutic potential, positioning it as a promising natural candidate for pharmaceutical formulations. This is particularly evident in its efficacy against resistant bacteria in anti-microbial therapeutic compositions, its role as an anti-tumoral and cell regenerator in cancer patients, and its integration into personal care products as well as skin care formulations.

Acute Pancreatitis (AP) is a ubiquitous inflammatory digestive system disease with a high prevalence worldwide. Once it progresses to Severe Acute Pancreatitis (SAP), its mortality can significantly increase. However, until now, there has been no clinical cure for AP, and the treatment of patients has mostly been based on surgery and supportive care. This has become a major medical problem. As for the pharmacological treatment of AP, various Chinese medicine tonics and formulations have shown a surprising appeal in both clinical and scientific research. Studies on AP pathogenesis have shown that physiological processes, such as oxidative stress and inflammatory responses, play important roles in AP. The Nuclear factor E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) signalling pathway is closely related to the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties of the body and may be a promising therapeutic target for the treatment of AP. Therefore, this review focuses on Chinese patent medicine that uses the Nrf2 pathway as a therapeutic target. We list the current research and clinical treatment strategies for AP with the help of Chinese medicine as a cornerstone for future studies. Some of our reflections and conclusions are presented in this review, especially with a focus on the mechanism of action of therapeutic strategies.

The safety and toxicity of Ayurvedic and herbal drugs have undergone extensive examination by researchers, with Ayurveda historically leading the charge in establishing safety parameters for medicinal practices. Against this backdrop, the present review aims to focus on the potentially harmful effects of improperly using Ayurveda herbs and herbo-mineral formulations. It considers how the emerging field of Ayurpharcoepidemiology can help with this urgent problem. Conducting a thorough investigation into this topic involved exploring ancient Ayurvedic texts like “Charaka Samhita, Sushruta Samhita, Ashtanga Hridaya, Sharngadhara Samhita, Madhava Nidanam, Bhava Prakasha, Ayurvedic formulary of India,” and “PubMed” with the keyword “Ayurveda Medicines and Safety”. It screened the published articles related to the safety of Ayurveda medicines. This comprehensive review highlighted the chronic awareness demonstrated by ancient Ayurvedic scholars regarding safety concerns, highlighting their dedication to advancing the Ayurveda system for safety. In response to these findings, there is a serious need to integrate Ayurpharmacoepidemiology as an interdisciplinary discipline bridging traditional wisdom with contemporary scientific methodologies. This integration can address the complexities of Ayurvedic and herbal medicine safety and reinstate Ayurveda's global prominence with safety as a paramount concern.

In modern times, microbial resistance is a global threat to health and development. The misuse and inappropriate use of antimicrobials is the main cause of developing drug-resistant pathogens. It requires multiple areas in direction to attain sustainable advance goals. As a result of microbial resistance, the necessity for costly medications and expenses are obstructed worldwide. Due to rising attention in the research of new antimicrobial medicaments from a variety of natural or synthetic sources to fight microbial resistance. Thus, natural antimicrobial agents have been used to a great extent nowadays because plant-derived antimicrobial agents are considered to be safer alternatives for health as compared to those synthetic antimicrobial agents. Overall, the active ingredients, water, essential oils, and ethanolic extracts from selected plants and the mixture of a variety of these natural extracts have been used for centuries, because they possess antimicrobial activity which inhibits the growth of microbes. Natural plants as an antimicrobial agent, like extracts of Curcuma longa L., Piper nigrum L., Vachellia leucophloea, Eclipta prostrata, Ocimum sanctum L., Terminalia arjuna, Manihot esculenta Crantz, Lawsonia inermis L., Zingiber officinale Roscoe, Camellia sinensis (L.) Kuntze, Coriandrum sativum L., Carica papaya L., Cinnamomum tamala, and many others have been preferred and used for ages because they are easily available worldwide. They are usually of low cost and have little or no side effects. Several antimicrobial screening approaches like the disk-diffusion method, well diffusion method, micro broth dilution assay, sterile disk method, and agar diffusion method are generally cast off for measurement of reproducibility and standardization of these antimicrobial agents. This review article is a comprehensive description of natural plants like Coriandrum sativum L., Carica papaya L., Cinnamomum tamala, etc., containing those extracts used as antimicrobial agents listed, and numerous in vitro antimicrobial susceptibility testing methods are reported. These identified plant species and antimicrobial screening techniques hold the potential for formulating these plants into antimicrobial drugs, warranting further study and exploration in the field of medicine.

COVID-19 is a severe challenge facing the world today and poses a serious threat to the global public health security. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) nursing has played an active role in the treatment and prevention of COVID-19. This study investigated the role of the TCM in the nursing of COVID-19 patients, aiming to provide a comprehensive understanding of its effectiveness and application. This article conducted a systematic review of recent studies and clinical cases, analyzed the theoretical basis of TCM nursing for COVID-19, explored the role of TCM nursing in COVID-19 prevention and control from multiple perspectives, such as Chinese medicine treatment, acupuncture and massage treatment, and clinical nursing. Findings indicated that TCM nursing interventions significantly improved patient recovery rates, reduced symptoms, and enhanced overall well-being. In TCM clinical practice, clearing heat, herbs resolving dampness, and relieving exterior symptoms are commonly used. These are complemented by phlegm-resolving, Qi-regulating, and purgative herbs. Acupoints that can serve to support the body's righteousness and attempt to eliminate evil are very common.. Massage should mainly affect the lung meridian and its interior counterpart, the large intestine meridian, as well as regulate the Zhongjiao and overall body condition through the spleen, stomach, and Ren-Du meridians. Clinical nursing should not only address symptoms closely related to COVID-19, such as fever and respiratory issues, but also consider digestion, sleep, and emotions of the patient. TCM nursing provided a valuable complement to conventional treatments for COVID-19, emphasizing the need for further integration of TCM practices in global health strategies.

Reactive oxygen and nitrogen species are produced via a variety of endogenous and exogenous mechanisms that lead to severe impairment in human diseases. Nevertheless, thanks to the presence of enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidants, which in favors of neutralizing these species. Along with several non-enzymatic antioxidants with modest molecular masses, the human body additionally possesses a highly potent intrinsic enzymatic antioxidant system. An imbalance between oxidants and antioxidants in favor of the oxidants, leading to a disruption of redox signaling and control and/or oxidative damage. These oxidative injuries are frequently linked to cancer, aging, and neurological diseases. Direct measurements of the concentrations of reactive species are nearly impossible due to their incredibly short half-lives and fairly expensive systems. Therefore, rather than directly measuring reactive species, products created by oxidative damage to proteins, lipids, and DNA are frequently utilized to estimate the degree of oxidative damage. These oxidative damage products are typically referred to as biomarkers. The assessment of these biomarker concentrations, as well as fluctuations in the concentration of protective antioxidants, might provide significant information for preventing certain diseases and maintaining optimal health. This study aims to summarize the data of the potential biomarkers related to the putative ROS pathway that have been implicated. Additionally, the intervention using therapeutic exogenous antioxidant as defense strategies in balancing the redox reactions and their ramifications has also been discussed.