Antioxidant Effects of Thymus vulgaris Seed Oil on Paracetamol-Induced Oxidative Alterations in Mice Liver Tissue

Thymus vulgaris seed oil represents an unexplored source of bioactive lipophilic compounds with potential health-promoting properties. This study aimed to characterize the fatty acid, carotenoid, and tocol composition of T. vulgaris seed oil and investigate its effects on hepatic oxidative stress parameters in a mice model of paracetamol-induced toxicity. Fatty acid analysis revealed a predominance of polyunsaturated fatty acids (79.0%), with α-linolenic acid as the major constituent (63.3%), followed by 2-hydroxy-linolenic acid (10.5%) and linoleic acid (4.9%). Among carotenoids, lutein was identified as the predominant pigment, followed by β-carotene. The oil was also characterized by a high content of vitamin E compounds, with γ-tocopherol and γ-tocotrienol representing the dominant tocols. The in vivo study included 48 NMRI Hannover mice randomly assigned to eight experimental groups (n = 6 per group; three males and three females). The mice received T. vulgaris seed oil at doses of 1, 2, or 3 mL/kg body weight orally for seven days, with or without paracetamol administration (300 mg/kg, intraperitoneally) on day 7. Liver samples were collected 24 h after paracetamol administration to assess oxidative stress parameters, including superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione reductase (GR), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), reduced glutathione (GSH), xanthine oxidase (XOD), and lipid peroxidation (LPx). Oral administration of T. vulgaris seed oil significantly improved hepatic antioxidant defence parameters in a dose-dependent manner. The highest tested dose (3 mL/kg b.wt.) produced the most pronounced effects, restoring antioxidant enzyme activities, increasing GSH content, and reducing XOD activity and lipid peroxidation toward the values observed in non-intoxicated animals. The observed biological activity may be associated with the presence of ω-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, carotenoids, and vitamin E compounds, which may contribute to antioxidant defence and the protection of cellular membranes against oxidative damage. These findings indicate that T. vulgaris seed oil may mitigate hepatic oxidative stress in an acute mouse model of paracetamol-induced toxicity, although further studies are needed to confirm these effects and clarify their underlying mechanisms.