creeping thyme

Other names: creeping thyme, upland thyme, Bogorodskaya grass, Chabrik, Gaibur, Shchebrik, Chobr, Tsebrik, Mother of God herb, Cap.

Diseases and effects: inflammatory diseases of the oral cavity and oropharynx, stomatitis, tonsillitis, laryngitis, tracheitis, bronchitis, bronchopneumonia, various skin diseases, diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, joint diseases, insomnia, alcoholism.

Active substances: thymol, liquid carvacrol, cymol, zingiberene, borneol, pinene, terpinene, terpineol, tannins, ursolic acid, caffeic acid, chlorogenic acid, oleanolic acid, flavonoids, bitterness, mineral salts.

Collection time:  June – July Botanical description \ rProcessing rules \ rChemical composition \ rPharmacological properties \ rUse in medicine \ rUse in traditional medicine \ rSide effects \ rDosage forms, method of administration and doses\r\r

Botanical description of creeping thyme 

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Lamiaceae family – Labiatae.\r

A small semi-shrub up to 20-40 cm high, forming sods, with a strong pleasant smell.\r

Stems 2-10 cm high, flattened on the soil, thin, with ascending branches covered with hairs.\r

The leaves are short-petiolate, hard, the plate is ovate or oblong, elliptical, dotted with dotted glands 5-10 mm long, glabrous or sparsely hairy along the edge.\r

Inflorescence capitate, compact. In the lower flowers, the pedicels are equal to the calyx, in the upper ones they are somewhat shorter. Calyx hairy, narrowly annulated, its limb slightly longer than the tube. Corolla 5-8 mm long, pink-purple, two-lipped, with a limb shorter than the tube. The lower lip is slightly longer than it, and the upper lip is notched, broadly ovate at the top. Nuts up to 6 mm long, ellipsoidal.\r

Creeping thyme blooms in June-July, and the fruits ripen in August-September. The method of reproduction is seed and vegetative.\r

It is worth noting that creeping cumin (thyme) is a polymorphic species. Some taxonomists consider it to be prefabricated, dividing it into small species. In nature, they are very difficult to distinguish, and therefore are used by collectors along with the typical form. Marshall’s thyme (Thymus marschallianus), common thyme (Thymus vulgaris L.) and creeping thyme (Thymus serpyllum L.) are most often harvested with a wide area of ​​growth .\r

The plant is widely distributed in the European part of Russia, in Siberia, Kazakhstan and Ukraine. Medicinal raw material is the herb creeping thyme. Thyme grows along the slopes of beams, in forest belts, unplowed meadows, forming small areas of dense thickets.\r

Rules for harvesting creeping thyme 

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Medicinal raw material is dried and threshed thyme herb. It is a mixture of whole or partially crushed pieces of stems, thin twigs, leaves and flowers. The smell of raw materials is fragrant. The taste is bitter-spicy, slightly burning.\r

The moisture content should be no more than 13%, total ash – no more than 12%, pieces of stems – no more than 10%, organic and mineral impurities – no more than 1% each.\r

Collection time – June-July. Collect grass during flowering. Cut the shoots with sickles or knives without coarse lignified parts. It is not necessary to pull out the plant with roots, as this leads to the rapid destruction of its thickets. Dry the grass outdoors in the shade, in well-ventilated areas, in attics. Spread the grass in a thin layer on paper, bedding, stirring occasionally. Drying is stopped when the leaves and flowers begin to crumble easily during tedding. After drying, the leaves and flowers are threshed, sifted through a sieve, discarding woody stems and twigs.\r

The chemical composition of creeping thyme 

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The herb contains an essential oil (0.2-1.3%) with a predominance of phenols – thymol and liquid carvacrol. Cymol, borneol, pinene, terpinene, terpineol, zingiberene and other terpene compounds were found in essential oil in small quantities, tannins, ursolic, caffeic, chlorogenic and oleanolic acids, flavonoids, bitterness and mineral salts were also found.\r

Pharmacological properties of creeping thyme 

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The medicinal properties of thyme are determined by the presence of essential oil in it, the constituent of which is thymol, which has a bactericidal effect on coccal pathogenic flora and a bacteriostatic effect on gram-negative microorganisms. The high antimycotic activity of thymol against pathogenic fungi has also been established.\r

Galenic forms from thyme herb have pronounced expectorant properties, stimulate the motor activity of the ciliated epithelium of the upper respiratory tract and increase the amount of secretory discharge of mucous membranes. Thyme preparations also contribute to the loosening of inflammatory deposits, liquefaction of sputum and accelerate its evacuation. With dry lesions of the mucous membranes of the throat and larynx, thyme has an enveloping effect. Due to the content of thymol and carvacrol in the plant, thyme galenic products are effective in inflammatory processes complicated by pathogenic microflora resistant to antibiotics. They also have a detrimental effect on I-forms of bacteria. Even with an insignificant content of phenolic compounds in the infusion, the product has a pronounced antimicrobial effect. Besides,

When thyme is taken orally, the separation of gastric juice increases, the development of pathogenic microflora is inhibited, spasms of the gastrointestinal tract are stopped.\r

Medicinal use of creeping thyme 

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Infusion and decoction of common thyme (creeping) are often used for rinsing with inflammatory diseases of the oral cavity and oropharynx caused by pyogenic bacteria. Galenic forms of the plant are successfully prescribed for laryngitis, tracheitis, bronchitis and bronchopneumonia due to antiseptic, expectorant, enveloping properties, as well as the likelihood of enhancing the secretion of bronchial glands, thinning sputum and accelerating the evacuation of inflammation products and mucous masses. Infusions and decoctions of the plant are widely used for the preparation of therapeutic baths and as lotions, wet dressings for all kinds of skin diseases.\r

Thyme products are also successfully used in diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, accompanied by a decrease in gastric secretion, atony or intestinal spasms, flatulence.\r

When prescribing thyme herb products, the sick disappear pain in the abdomen, normalizes digestion, and improves gas discharge. In addition, the intestinal microflora is normalized due to the disinfectant properties of thyme herb.\r

In gynecology, it is used for baths and douches for inflammatory diseases of the vagina, leucorrhoea, especially in older women.\r

The use of thyme in folk medicine 

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In folk medicine, a decoction is used for diseases of the joints, insomnia.\r

It is believed that if you sleep on a pillow in which thyme (thyme) is placed, it relieves headaches, reduces arousal, brings health and longevity.\r

Recommended for the treatment of alcoholism (a mixture of 4 parts thyme and 1 part wormwood). A tablespoon of this collection is boiled in 250 ml of water for 5 minutes, cooled, take 1 tablespoon 3 times every day for 2-3 months. As a result of the treatment, tension and unpleasant feelings in the legs, arms, and heart quickly disappear. After taking this decoction for 15 days, many patients develop indifference to alcohol.\r

Side effects 

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Nausea – can occur mainly with an overdose of plant products. Thyme preparations are contraindicated in pregnancy, cardiac decompensation, kidney and liver diseases.\r

Dosage forms, method of application and doses of creeping thyme 

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Infusion of common thyme herb (Infusum herbae Thymi vulgaris): 10 g (2 tablespoons) of raw materials are placed in an enamel bowl, pour 200 ml (1 cup) of hot boiled water, cover with a lid and heat in boiling water (in a water bath) for 15 minutes, cooled at room temperature for 45 minutes, filtered, the remaining raw material is squeezed out. The volume of the resulting infusion is adjusted with boiled water to 200 ml. The prepared infusion is stored in a cool place for no more than 2 days.\r

Take 1 tablespoon 2-3 times every day for coughing.\r

The raw material is not packaged. Grass is stored in a cool dry place.\r

A decoction of common thyme herb (Decoctum herbae Thymi vulgaris) is prepared as follows: take the herb of the plant in a ratio of 1: 10, boil 200 ml of boiling water, heat in a water bath for 30 minutes, cool for 10 minutes at room temperature and take 1-2 tablespoons 3-5 times every day.

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