Therapeutic application of carvacrol: A comprehensive review

• Published in: Food science & nutrition 2022-11, Vol.10 (11), p.3544-3561
• Main Authors: Imran, Muhammad, Aslam, Mahwish, Alsagaby, Suliman A., Saeed, Farhan, Ahmad, Ishtiaque, Afzaal, Muhamamd, Arshad, Muhammad Umair, Abdelgawad, Mohamed A., El‐Ghorab, Ahmed H., Khames, Ahmed, Shariati, Mohammad Ali, Ahmad, Arslan, Hussain, Muzamal, Imran, Ali, Islam, Saiful
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Acids; AKT protein; Alanine; Alanine transaminase; Alkaline phosphatase; anticancer; antidiabetic; Antidiabetics; Antiinfectives and antibacterials; Antimicrobial activity; Antimicrobial agents; Apoptosis; Aspartate aminotransferase; Asthma; Biological properties; Biomarkers; Biosynthesis; cardio‐protective; Carvacrol; Cell cycle; Coagulase; Cyclin-dependent kinases; Diabetes mellitus; dose and safety; E coli; Enzymes; Essential oils; Health promotion; Immunomodulation; Inflammatory bowel disease; Insulin; Kinases; Liver; Matrix metalloproteinase; Metalloproteinase; Mevalonate pathway; Mitochondria; Nitric oxide; Oral diseases; Oxidants; Oxidative stress; Oxidizing agents; Pancreatitis; phytochemical; Prostate cancer; Proteins; Pseudomonas aeruginosa; Review; Reviews; Signal transduction; Transaminases; γ-Glutamyltransferase
• ISSN: 2048-7177; 2048-7177
• DOI: 10.1002/fsn3.2994

Carvacrol is a major natural constituent and is significantly present as an essential oil in aromatic plants and is well known for its numerous biological activities. Therapeutic properties of carvacrol have been demonstrated as anti‐oxidant, anticancer, diabetes prevention, cardioprotective, anti‐obesity, hepatoprotective and reproductive role, antiaging, antimicrobial, and immunomodulatory properties. The carvacrol biosynthesis has been mediated through mevalonate pathway. Carvacrol has the anticancer ability against malignant cells via decreasing the expressions of matrix metalloprotease 2 and 9, inducing apoptosis, enhancing the expression of pro‐apoptotic proteins, disrupting mitochondrial membrane, suppressing extracellular signal‐regulated kinase 1/2 mitogen‐activated protein kinase signal transduction, and also decreasing the phosphoinositide 3‐kinase/protein kinase B. It also decreased the concentrations of alanine aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase and aspartate aminotransferase, and gamma‐glutamyl transpeptidase as well as also restored liver function, insulin level, and plasma glucose level. Carvacrol also has been found to exert antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Coagulase‐negative staphylococcus, Salmonella spp., Enterococcus sp. Shigella, and Escherichia coli. The current review article summarizes the health‐promoting perspectives of carvacrol through various pathways. Carvacrol is a major natural constituent in applauded for their nutraceutical potential ranging from antioxidant to anticancer