Osman H.F.¹, El-Mahdey A.A.¹, El-Sherbiny E.M.^1,

The present investigation was designed to investigate the curative and protective effect of thyme as a natural product on thyroid and liver status in hypothyroid rats induced by propylthiouracil (PTU). The rats were classified into 4 groups; group I: control, group II, was intraperitoneally injected with 10 mg PTU/kg, for 21 days, group III was i.p. injected with 10 mg PTU/kg, for 21 days followed by 5% thyme for four weeks, and group IV was i.p. injected with 10 mg PTU/kg, for 21 days followed by 10% thyme for four weeks. Serum total cholesterol, HDL, LDL, triglycerides, AST, ALT, alkaline phosphatase, total protein, albumin, urea, creatinine, Na⁺, K⁺, GSH, GSH-px, SOD, MDA, TNF-∝, serum triiodothyronine (T₃) and thyroxine (T₄), were evaluated. Propylthiouracil injection resulted in a significant increase in total cholesterol, LDL, triglycerides, AST, ALT, ALP, urea and creatinine, MDA, and TNF-∝, whereas HDL, total protein, albumin, Na+, K+, GSH, GSH-px, SOD, T₃ and T₄ decreased significantly compared to control. The high dose of thyme extract (10%) ameliorated most of the harmful effect of PTU, this may be due to its contents of flavonoids, thymol, phenols and luteolin.

Propylthiouracil, Thymus vulgaris L., liver functions, lipid peroxides, kidney functions, thyroid functions, rats