Antioxidant activity and polyphenol content of Turkish thyme (Thymus vulgaris) monitored by liquid chromatography and tandem mass spectrometry

Like tea, the leaves of Turkish thyme (Thymus vulgaris) can be boiled in water to produce an extract. This is widely used as syrup for the treatment of coughs and bronchitis at alternative medicine clinics in many parts of the world. In the current study, we assessed the phenolic content and antioxidant activity of thyme. The antioxidant activities of both ethanol and aqueous extracts of thyme were determined using various in vitro methods. The total phenolic and total flavonoid contents were determined to be a gallic acid equivalent and a quercetin equivalent, respectively. Finally, the quantities of the phenolic compounds were detected using high-performance liquid chromatography and tandem mass spectrometry. The total phenolic compounds in the aqueous extract and ethanol extracts of Turkish thyme were 256.0 μg gallic acid equivalent/mg dried extract and 158.0 μg gallic acid equivalent/mg dried extract, respectively. Conversely, the total flavonoid compounds in both extracts were 44.2 μg and 36.6 μg quercetin equivalent/mg dried extract, respectively. For the first time, we determined phenolic contents and investigated the antioxidant potential of thyme. The results indicate that Turkish thyme is a good dietary source with phenolic properties.