The in vivo genotoxic effects of thymol and carvacrol

The aim of this study was to investigate the in vivo genotoxic effects of carvacrol and thymol in bone marrow cells of rats that were used as antihelmintic, antiseptic, antifungal, antibacterial, antiparasitic and antiviral substances. In the present study, both carvacrol (10, 30, 50 and 70 mg/kg b.w.) and thymol (40, 60, 80 ve 100 mg/kg b.w.) significantly induced the structural and total chromosome abnormalities (CA) when compared with control in bone marrow cells of rats intraperitonally administered. Both carvacrol and thymol showed the similar effects with the positive control ethyl carbamate (EC) on induction of the percentage of structural and total CA at the highest concentrations (70 mg/kg b.w. and 100 mg/kg b.w., respectively). In addition, carvacrol and thymol induced the numerical CA at the highest two concentrations (50 and 70 mg/kg b.w. for carvacrol; 80 and 100 mg/kg b.w.for thymol). It was shown a dose-dependent effects on induction of structural, numerical and total CA for both carvacrol and thymol. Carvacrol and thymol decreased the mitotic index (MI) in all the concentrations and treatment times when compared with control. Carvacrol showed the similar effects with the positive control ethyl carbamate (EC) on decreasing the MI at 70 mg/kg b.w. for 6 and 12 hours and at all concentration for 24 hours treatment periods. Thymol also showed a similar effect with EC on decreasing the MI at 80 and 100 mg/kg b.w. for 6 hours and at all concentrations for 24 hours treatment periods. Test substanced decreased the MI in a dose-dependent manner. Key Words: Carvacrol, Thymol, Rat Bone Marrow, Genotoxicity