Relaxant effect of thymol on smooth muscle
Abstract
El timol es un monoterpeno fenólico con formas cristalinas incoloras o polvo cristalino blanco de sabor picante, caucásico y dulce. Su estructura química se caracteriza por un grupo hidroxilo (-OH) unido a un anillo bencénico. Proporciona la hidroxilación de la P-cimina junto con su isómero carvacrol. En esta molécula se han registrado diferentes propiedades terapéuticas como espasmolítico, anticancerígeno, antiinflamatorio, fungicida, antibacteriano, antioxidante y hepatoprotector. Este monoterpeno se encuentra en diferentes especies del género Thymus, especialmente T. vulgaris y T. zigis con un porcentaje que fluctúa entre el 10% y el 60% encontrado en la parte aérea de ambas plantas, así mismo, también se encuentra en Lagoecia cuminoides entre un 73% y 95% y en Trachyspermum copticum entre un 37.2 y 72.3% en la semilla y frutos de esta planta. Se han realizado estudios sobre sus efectos benéficos para la salud en diferentes especies, destacando ratas, ratones, conejos, cobayas, pollos, líneas celulares humanas; distinguiendo en humanos se han realizado 3 estudios para disminuir los efectos del asma, efecto antitusivo y antiinflamatorio sobre los pulmones. El objetivo de este artículo narrativo es describir los procesos de contracción y relajación del músculo liso y el efecto espasmolítico del timol en diferentes tejidos musculares lisos en ratas, ratones, cobayas y conejos. A través de esta investigación se sugiere a la comunidad científica estudiar los posibles mecanismos de acción de esta molécula en los diferentes tipos de tejido muscular liso para estudios clínicos posteriores.
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