HIMALAYAN THYME: A WONDER HERB

Botanical Name: Thymus linearis

Family: Lamiaceae

Vernacular Name: बन अजवाइन Ban Ajwain

Names in Other Languages:

English: Himalayan Thyme, Wild Thyme, Creeping Thyme

Hindi: जंगली अजवाइन Jangli ajwain

Distribution: Afghanistan to Central Nepal, Tibet, India, 1500- 3300m

Flowering: May-September

Morphology:

It is a small aromatic herb, approx. 15-30 cm high, with many tiny oblong leaves and delicate little whorls of pink-purple flowers. Flowers are about 6 mm or more, weakly 2-lipped. The upper lip is notched, while the lower one is 3-lobed. Sepal tube is bell-shaped and deep purple while corolla tube is purplish-pink.  

 

 Parts Used: Whole plants

Chemical Constituents

Major constituents: Thymol, p-cymene and γ-terpinene.

Minor constituents: Carvacrol, p-cymen-8-ol, borneol, terpinen-4-ol and thymol methyl ether.

Folk Uses: 

1. Used to add flavour to pickle and lassi.

2. Flowers are used to make tea.

3. Decoction of leaves used against dysentery.

Himalayan Thyme Tea

Medicinal Uses:

1. Thymol present in Himalayan thyme has strong antiseptic properties.
2. Recently, it has been reported to be effective even again multi drug resistant (MDR) bacteria.
3. It is considered to be an excellent expectorant.
4. It has antispasmodic and carminative properties.
5. It is used to treat gastrointestinal problems.
6. It is considered to be effective in respiratory disorders.
7. The leaves are used as vermifuge.
8. Recently, analgesic, anti-inflammatory and anti-pyretic activities have been recorded.
9. A study in 2013 has shown that carvacrol present in thyme influences the neuron activity and boosts the feelings of well-being.

Further Reading:

1. 9 Health Benefits of Thyme
2. Ambasta, S.P. (ed.) 1986.  The Useful Plants of India.  CSIR, New Delhi.
3. Analgesic, anti-inflammatory a nd anti-pyretic activities of Thymus linearis .
4. Atkinson, E.T. 1882. Economic Botany of the Himalayan Region. Cosmo Publications, New Delhi.
5. Chauhan, N.S. 1999. Medicinal and Aromatic Plants of Himachal Pradesh. Indus Publ. Co., New Delhi.
6. Chopra, R.N., Nayar, S.L. and Chopra, I.C. 1956. Glosary of Indian Medicinal Plants. CSIR, New Delhi.
7. Jain, S.K. 1991. Dictionary of Indian Folk Medicine and Ethnobotany. Deep Publications, New Delhi.
8. Kirtikar, K.R. and Basu, B.D.  1935.  Indian Medicinal Plants. Vol. I-IV.  Lalit Mohan Basu, Allahabad, India.
9.           Quattrocchi, U. 2012. CRC World Dictionary of Medicinal and Poisonous Plants: Common Names, Scientific Names, Eponyms, Synonyms, and Etymology. CRC Press. 

10. Thymus linearis, Wild Thyme, Jangli ajwain, Satar farsi