Fecha de publicación: -- Fuente: PubMed "essential oil" Food Chem Toxicol. 2026 Nov 7:116488. doi: 10.1016/j.fct.2026.116488. Online ahead of print.ABSTRACTThymol, a monoterpenoid phenol from Mediterranean thyme species, is a well-characterized food-associated chemical with documented cytotoxic activity against breast cancer cells. This review critically evaluates mechanisms underlying thymol's selective cytotoxic and antiproliferative effects on breast cancer cells across in silico, in vitro, and in vivo studies. A targeted keyword-based search of Scopus using "thymol" and "breast cancer" identified 114 eligible studies, supplemented by 12 mechanism-relevant references. Computational analyses predicted favorable binding to oncogenic targets with low predicted toxicity. In vitro, thymol, whether purified, an essential oil constituent, a synthetic derivative, or nano-formulated, induced dose- and time-dependent cytotoxicity across breast cancer cell lines while largely sparing normal cells. Mechanistically, this was primarily driven by intrinsic apoptosis via Reactive Oxygen Species generation, mitochondrial membrane depolarization, and caspase activation, alongside cell cycle arrest and suppression of proliferation, migration, invasion, and angiogenesis. In vivo, thymol-rich essential oils reduced tumor volume without reported hepatotoxicity. By integrating in silico, in vitro, and in vivo mechanistic evidence on thymol's cytotoxic activity in breast cancer, we further highlight under-explored alternative cell death pathways. Altogether, these findings position thymol as a multi-targeted, selectively toxic natural compound, warranting mechanistic validation and eventual clinical exploration.PMID:42998827 | DOI:10.1016/j.fct.2026.116488