SYSTEMATIC REVIEW article
Front. Vet. Sci.
Sec. Veterinary Pharmacology and Toxicology
Volume 12 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fvets.2025.1562641
This article is part of the Research TopicExploring Plant-Based Therapies in Veterinary MedicineView all 7 articles
Pharmaco-toxicological aspects of thymol in veterinary medicine. A systematic review
Provisionally accepted
- 1Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias, Universidad Nacional del Centro de Buenos Aires., Tandil, Argentina
- 2National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- 3University of Padua, Padua, Veneto, Italy
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Introduction: Thymol, a phenolic compound present in essential oils, has shown promising pharmacological properties and potential veterinary applications. This systematic review aims to evaluate the pharmacological and toxicological effects of thymol in animals. Materials and methods: A comprehensive search following PRISMA 2020 guidelines was conducted across databases including PubMed, Scopus, Google Scholar, Web of Science, and LILACS. Various health descriptors, medical subject headings terms, and their synonyms were used to identify studies examining thymol's effects in animals, including its in vitro, in vivo, and in silico toxicity, as well as its possible environmental impact. Only relevant experimental studies from the last twelve years were included, provided they assessed thymol itself, one of its primary phytoadditive sources, or a blend where thymol was at least as concentrated as other components. The protocol was registered in Open Science Framework (DOI: https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/B6SF9). Results: A total of 1.472 records were identified, with 176 meeting inclusion criteria. Studies spanned from 2012 to 2024, indicating that thymol exhibits antimicrobial, antiviral, antifungal, antiparasitic, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant properties, among others. However, thymol displays dose-dependent toxicity, especially at high levels, affecting mainly the liver and kidneys. Discussion: Thymol holds substantial potential as a therapeutic agent in veterinary medicine due to its beneficial effects and relatively low toxicity. Nonetheless, further research is needed to establish safe and effective dosages across different animal species.
Keywords: Thymol, Pharmacological effects, Toxicological effects, Veterinary applications, in vivo, in vitro and in silico studies
Received: 17 Jan 2025; Accepted: 30 Jun 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Pérez Gaudio, Giantin, Pauletto and Dacasto. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence:
Denisa Pérez Gaudio, Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias, Universidad Nacional del Centro de Buenos Aires., Tandil, Argentina
Mauro Dacasto, University of Padua, Padua, 35122, Veneto, Italy
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