Biotechnological Potential of Thymus sipyleus Boiss. subsp. sipyleus Extract in the Inhibition of Some Metabolic Enzyme Activities

Year 2025, Volume: 1 Issue: 2, 43 - 50, 31.10.2025

Hatice Baş

Abstract

Thymus sipyleus Boiss. subsp. sipyleus, a plant widely used in traditional medicine, holds substantial promise in the biotechnological field due to its bioactive compounds. This study explores the inhibitory effects of Thymus sipyleus Boiss. subsp. sipyleus extract on six major enzymes—acetylcholinesterase (AChE), butyrylcholinesterase (BuChE), lipoxygenase (LOX), α-amylase, tyrosinase, and xanthine oxidase (XO)—which are critical in various pathological processes such as neurodegenerative diseases, metabolic disorders, and skin pigmentation issues. Through advanced enzymatic assays, we demonstrate the extract’s potent inhibitory activity, especially against AChE and BuChE, which are relevant targets in Alzheimer’s therapy, and LOX, implicated in inflammatory diseases. Among the three different extracts tested (water, methanol, and ethanol), the methanol extract exhibited the highest enzyme inhibitory activities, with inhibition rates of 46.23% for LOX, 42.05% for AChE, 38.27% for BuChE, 36.26% for XO, 33.71% for α-amylase, and 26.93% for tyrosinase. The ethanol extract followed with slightly lower but comparable results (AChE: 40.29%, BuChE: 37.64%, LOX: 43.32%), while the water extract showed the lowest inhibitory activity across all enzymes tested (AChE: 38.22%, BuChE: 34.78%, LOX: 40.3%). Although none of the extracts matched the effectiveness of standard inhibitors, their moderate to strong activity indicates substantial therapeutic potential. The results highlight the biotechnological potential of Thymus sipyleus Boiss. subsp. sipyleus extract as a natural source for the development of enzyme-specific inhibitors. The findings suggest that this plant can serve as a sustainable, plant-based alternative for producing bioactive compounds, thereby contributing to the design of novel therapeutic strategies in biotechnology, including neuroprotective, anti-inflammatory, and anti-diabetic treatments.

Keywords

enzyme inhibition , plant-based therapeutics , sustainable drug development

Ethical Statement

The author declares that this study complies with Research and Publication Ethics.

Thymus sipyleus Boiss. subsp. sipyleus Ekstraktının Bazı Metabolik Enzim Aktivitelerinin İnhibisyonundaki Biyoteknolojik Potansiyeli

Abstract

Geleneksel tıpta yaygın olarak kullanılan bir bitki olan Thymus sipyleus Boiss. subsp. sipyleus, biyoaktif bileşenleri nedeniyle biyoteknolojik alandaki çalışmalarda umut vaat etmektedir. Bu çalışma, Thymus sipyleus Boiss. subsp. sipyleus ekstraktının nörodejeneratif hastalıklar, metabolik bozukluklar ve cilt pigmentasyon sorunları gibi çeşitli patolojik süreçlerde kritik öneme sahip olan altı ana enzim -asetilkolinesteraz (AChE), bütirilkolinesteraz (BuChE), lipoksijenaz (LOX), α-amilaz, tirozinaz ve ksantin oksidaz (XO)- üzerindeki inhibitör etkilerini araştırmaktadır. Yapılan enzimatik analizler, ekstraktların özellikle Alzheimer tedavisinde önemli hedefler olan AChE ve BuChE'ye ve inflamatuar hastalıklarda rol oynayan LOX'a karşı güçlü inhibitör aktivitesini göstermektedir. Test edilen üç farklı ekstrakt arasında (su, metanol ve etanol), metanol ekstraktı en yüksek enzim inhibitör aktivitelerini göstermiştir; LOX için %46,23, AChE için %42,05, BuChE için %38,27, XO için %36,26, α-amilaz için %33,71 ve tirozinaz için %26,93 inhibisyon oranları saptanmıştır. Etanol ekstraktı biraz daha düşük ancak benzer sonuçlarla (AChE: %40,29, BuChE: %37,64, LOX: %43,32) takip etmiş; su ekstraktı ise test edilen tüm enzimler arasında en düşük inhibitör aktiviteyi göstermiştir (AChE: %38,22, BuChE: %34,78, LOX: %40,3). Ekstraktların hiçbirisi standart inhibitörlerin etkinliğine ulaşmasa da, orta ila güçlü aktiviteleri önemli terapötik potansiyele işaret etmektedir Sonuçlar, Thymus sipyleus Boiss. subsp. sipyleus özütünün enzim-spesifik inhibitörlerin geliştirilmesi için doğal bir kaynak olarak biyoteknolojik potansiyelini vurgulamaktadır. Bulgular, bu bitkinin biyoaktif bileşikler üretmek için sürdürülebilir, bitki bazlı bir alternatif olarak hizmet edebileceğini ve böylece nöroprotektif, anti-inflamatuar ve anti-diyabetik tedaviler dahil olmak üzere biyoteknolojide yeni terapötik stratejilerin tasarlanmasına katkıda bulunabileceğini göstermektedir.

Keywords

Enzim inhibisyonu , Bitki bazlı tedaviler , Sürdürülebilir ilaç geliştirme

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