Thymol and carvacrol are isomers with a monoterpenic phenol structure. Both are found in a number of natural aromatic plants. Thymol and carvacrol are thus major components of flavoring agents widely used in food products and consumer products. Because of their antioxidant and antimicrobial ability, both can be used in food industry as additives in food functional packaging materials. Few reports thoroughly estimated the toxicity and potential endocrine disrupting effects especially at low concentrations such as at the parts per trillions. Thymol and carvacrol possess similar structure to 17β-estradiol, a major human estrogen. In our study, the toxicity and potential estrogenic activity of carvacrol and thymol at 10-12 to 10-6 M were assessed by three assays: chicken embryo screen assay, MCF-7 cell proliferation assay, and Ames test. Carvacrol and thymol showed different findings due to the different location of one phenolic hydroxyl group. The carvacrol showed adverse effects in embryonic growth and weak estrogenic activity in MCF-7 human cells at 10-8 M while thymol did not. Both of them showed risks of gene mutagenicity at 10-11 to 10-8 M. Our findings suggest health concerns of two natural ingredients even at very low exposures.

Safety and endocrine disruption potentials of low exposures of thymol and carvacrol

Macromolecular Chemistry: The Second Century

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ACS Spring 2020 National Meeting & Expo

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