ArticleJournal of oral pathology & medicine : official publication of the International Association of Oral Pathologists and the American Academy of Oral Pathology2018
Thymol inhibits oral squamous cell carcinoma growth via mitochondria-mediated apoptosis.
Article in Journal of oral pathology & medicine : official publication of the International Association of Oral Pathologists and the American Academy of Oral Pathology, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 41 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
41 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 95 citations in OpenAlex.
- Anticancer activity of monoterpenes: a systematic review.Molecular biology reports · 2021Pooled it
- From Plant-Derived Compound to Bioactive Agent in Dentistry: The Expanding Role of Thymol.Dentistry journal · 2026Review
- Effect of an Herbal Mouthwash Derived from Pedicough Syrup on Plaque, Gingival and Bleeding Indices in Patients with Gingivitis: A Randomized Controlled Trial.Journal of dentistry (Shiraz, Iran) · 2026Article
- Sustainable Applications of Thymol: Advances in Formulation Technologies, Drug Delivery Systems, and Food Preservation Strategies.Food science & nutrition · 2026Review
- Exploring Thymol's Cytocompatibility and Potential Selective Cytotoxicity in Human Primary Gingival Fibroblasts and Pharyngeal Carcinoma Cells: An In Vitro and In Ovo Investigation.Dentistry journal · 2026Article
- Natural product-induced apoptosis in oral squamous cell carcinoma via targeting mitochondrial multifunctionality.Frontiers in oncology · 2026Review
- Thymol and Carvacrol: Molecular Mechanisms, Therapeutic Potential, and Synergy With Conventional Therapies in Cancer Management.Food science & nutrition · 2025Review
- Thymol Enhances 5-Fluorouracil Cytotoxicity by Reducing Migration and Increasing Apoptosis and Cell Cycle Arrest in Esophageal Cancer Cells: An In-vitro Study.Indian journal of clinical biochemistry : IJCB · 2025Article
- Transient Receptor Potential Channels in Prostate Cancer: Associations with ERG Fusions and Survival.International journal of molecular sciences · 2025Article
- Oral toxicity assessment and the mitigation of lung carcinogenesis by phytol and α-bisabolol combination treatment in swiss albino mice: insights into redox enzyme modulation and caspase-dependent cell death mechanisms.Naunyn-Schmiedeberg's archives of pharmacology · 2025Article
- Screening of the Antimelanoma Activity of Monoterpenes-In Vitro Experiments on Four Human Melanoma Lines.Current issues in molecular biology · 2025Article
- Therapeutic effects ofFrontiers in pharmacology · 2025Article
- Unveiling the Anticancer Potential of Phytocompounds: Pioneering Future Cancer Therapies.Current topics in medicinal chemistry · 2025Review
- Thymol as adjuvant in oncology: molecular mechanisms, therapeutic potentials, and prospects for integration in cancer management.Naunyn-Schmiedeberg's archives of pharmacology · 2024Review
- Exploring the therapeutic potential of medicinal plants and their active principles in dental care: A comprehensive review.Heliyon · 2024Review
- Application of Natural Medicinal Plants Active Ingredients in Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma.Chinese journal of integrative medicine · 2024Review
- The Emerging Role of Natural Products in Cancer Treatment.Archives of toxicology · 2024Review
- Role of Phytoconstituents in Cancer Treatment: A Review.Recent advances in food, nutrition & agriculture · 2024Review
- Current and Potential Applications of Monoterpenes and Their Derivatives in Oral Health Care.Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) · 2023Review
- Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
4 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundThymol is a transient receptor potential ankyrin subtype 1 channel, (TRPA1) agonist found in thyme and oregano. Thymol has antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial properties; thus, thymol is added to many commercially available products including Listerine mouthwash. Thymol is also cytotoxic to HL-60 (acute promyelocytic leukemia) cells in vitro. Therefore, we evaluated the effects of thymol against oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) and its anticancer mechanism-of-action.
methodsThe antiproliferative effects of thymol in OSCC Cal27 cells were determined by MTS assays. Antitumor effects were evaluated in Cal27- and HeLa-derived mouse xenografts. Calcium imaging, mitochondrial transmembrane potential (ΔΨm) studies, and Western blot analysis of cleaved PARP (c-PARP) evaluated thymol's mechanism-of-action.
resultsThymol had significant, long-lasting antiproliferative effects in vitro. In vivo, thymol displayed significant antitumor effects in Cal27-derived tumors. Thymol's anticancer effects were confirmed in HeLa-derived xenografts demonstrating that thymol effects are not tumor-type specific. Calcium imaging verified calcium influx in Cal27 cells that were reversed with the TRPA1 antagonist, HC030031. However, no calcium influx was seen in HeLa cells indicating that TRP channels do not regulate thymol cytotoxicity. This was confirmed using cell viability assays in which pre-treatment with HC030031 had no effect on thymol cytotoxicity. Instead, ΔΨm studies revealed that thymol induces significant ΔΨm depolarization and apoptosis.
conclusionOur findings provide the first evidence of thymol's novel antitumor effects against OSCC in vivo, which do not rely on TRPA1 activity. Instead, we show that thymol induces mitochondrial dysfunction and apoptosis and may be efficacious against multiple cancers.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.