Structural and Physical Properties of Biofield Treated Thymol and Menthol

What is it about?

Thymol and menthol are naturally occurring plant derived compounds, which have excellent pharmaceutical and antimicrobial applications. The aim of this work was to evaluate the impact of biofield energy on physical and structural characteristics of thymol and menthol. The control and biofield treated compounds (thymol and menthol) were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC), Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR). XRD study revealed increase in intensity of the XRD peaks of treated thymol, which was correlated to high crystallinity of the treated sample. The treated thymol showed significant increase in crystallite size by 50.01% as compared to control. However, the treated menthol did not show any significant change in crystallite size as compared to control. DSC of treated menthol showed minimal increase in melting temperature (45ºC) as compared to control (44ºC). The enthalpy (∆H) of both the treated compounds (thymol and menthol) was decreased as compared to control samples which could be due the high energy state of the powders. TGA analysis showed that thermal stability of treated thymol was increased as compared to control; though no change in thermal stability was noticed in treated menthol. FT-IR spectrum of treated thymol showed increase in wave number of –OH stretching vibration peak (14 cm-1) as compared to control. Whereas, the FT-IR spectrum of treated menthol showed appearance of new stretching vibration peaks in the region of 3200-3600 cm-1 which may be attributed to the presence of hydrogen bonding in the sample as compared to control. Overall, the result showed that biofield treatment has substantially changed the structural and physical properties of thymol and menthol.

Featured Image

Why is it important?

Thymol is a volatile organic compound extracted from thyme and it has excellent antibacterial properties. Thymol is able to inhibit growth of gram positive microbes such as Bacillus subtilis, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumonia, and Staphylococcus aureus [1]. From last few decades essential oils obtained from herbal products have attracted significant attention as an alternative strategy to replace antibiotic growth promoters. Additionally, thymol has been used in medical [2], food [3-7], agriculture [8] ,veterinarian and pest control applications [9]. Based on recent report, from Word Health Organization, thymol residues can be used in food without danger to the consumer as long as they do not exceed 50 mg/kg and thymol is generally recognized as safe by many national authorities [10]. Researchers have shown that thymol like other phenolic compounds is hydrophobic in nature and it is likely to dissolve in hydrophobic layer of cytoplasmic membrane of bacterial cells, between the lipid acyl chains, thus changing the fluidity and permeability of cell membranes [11]. Based on this excellent property, many research studies showed an additively and synergism of essential oils in combination with antibiotics, indicating that they may offer possibilities of reducing the antibiotic use [12, 13]. However, it has certain disadvantages such as low water solubility and low palatability due to its unpleasant taste and smell [14]. Menthol is cyclic monoterpene alcohol, which is found as a main constituent in essential oil of Mentha candadensis L. (corn mint) and Mentha x piperita vulgaris L. (black peppermint) [15]. Menthol along with menthone, isomenthone and other compounds imparts the cooling minty taste and smell to plants, especially to members of the Mentha genus. Menthol has been included as an ingredient in various consumer products such as pharmaceuticals, cosmetic, pesticide, candies, chewing gums, and other applications [16,17]. Additionally, menthol is known to exhibits antimicrobial, anticancer, and anti-inflammatory activities [18]. Bioelectromagnetism is an area which studies the interaction of living biological cells and electromagnetic fields. Researchers have demonstrated that short lived electrical current or action potential exists in several mammalian cells such as neurons, endocrine cells and muscle cells as well as some plant cells [19]. A physicist, William Tiller proposed the existence of a new force related to human body, in addition to four well known fundamental forces of physics: gravitational force, strong force, weak force, and electromagnetic force. After that biophysicist Fritz-Albert Popp et al. proposed that human physiology shows a high degree of order and stability due to their coherent dynamic states [20-22]. This emits the electromagnetic waves in form of bio-photons, which surrounds the human body and known as biofield energy. Therefore, the biofield consisting of electromagnetic field, generated by moving electrically charged particles (ions, cell, molecule etc.) inside the human body. It is the scientifically preferred term for the biologically produced electromagnetic and subtle energy field that provides regulatory and communication functions within the organism. In spite of countless study reports of the effectiveness of biofield therapies [23], there are very few well controlled experimental studies reported in literature [24]. Thus, human has the ability to harness the energy from environment or universe and can transmit into any leaving or nonliving objects around the globe. The objects always receive the energy and responding into useful way that is called biofield energy and the process is known as biofield treatment. Mr. Mahendra Trivedi is known to transform the characteristics of both living and nonliving materials using his biofield energy. The biofield treatment was used to modify the physical, atomic and thermal properties of various ceramic and metals [25-28]. In agriculture, the biofield treated crops have been reported for significant growth, characteristics and yield of plants [29-31]. Moreover, the biofield has resulted into altered antimicrobials susceptibility patterns and the biochemical characteristics of the microbes [32-34]. The growth and anatomical characteristic of some herbs were also changed after biofield treatment [35-36]. By considering the above mentioned facts and literature on biofield treatment, the present work was undertaken to see the influence of biofield energy on physical and structural properties of thymol and menthol.

Perspectives