Kinder treatment
More than four in five teenagers suffer with some form of acne. Famous sufferers have included Brad Pitt, Kate Moss and Rihanna, allegedly. This annoying skin complaint is caused by the bacterium, Propionibacterium acnes, which normally lives on the surface of your skin, causing inflammation in the hair follicles. Common treatments for acne contain the chemical benzoyl peroxide, which is actually a skin irritant and is used in over-the-counter face washes and creams. Microbiologists at Leeds Metropolitan University have found that thyme may offer a kinder and more effective method of killing the bacterium that causes this annoying problem.

Killing bacterium
Dr Margarita Gomez Escalada’s student Kimberley Sanderson conducted the study as part of her final year project. A solution, known as a tincture, is made by steeping the plant in alcohol. This extracts the different compounds from the plant. The team tested the effectiveness of the herbs, thyme, myrrh and marigold tinctures in killing the acne bacterium, using a test commonly used to test disinfectants. The focus of this study was how the action of tinctures compared to that of the benzoyl peroxide used in acne creams. Their findings demonstrate that thyme works better and more rapidly.

The work began when one of Gomez Escalada’s undergraduate students was interested in studying the microbiology of acne. Other students have since carried on the research.  Some of the chemicals in thyme are known since the ancient Egyptians, to have antimicrobial action, such as thymol, which is used in mouthwashes and carvacrol, known for its antiseptic qualities. Their next step is to see if the thyme tincture is more effective than these.

Building a bigger picture
One challenge so far, Gomez Escalada explains, ‘is growing the bacterium that causes acne. The bacteria lives inside the skin pore where there is no oxygen. It’s really difficult to grow the bacteria as it is killed by oxygen. We have to grow it in an anaerobic incubator.’

Prescribing herbal tinctures as remedies for common ailments has been around since Victorian times. Gomez Escalada foresees their work carrying on for the next ten years or more and eventually testing on humans. In the meantime it is proving a fascinating way for students to get the most out of their research and build towards a bigger picture.