Plant secondary metabolite as thymol undergo sulfation in the liver and other organ tissues. There are several isoforms of enzymes involved during this phase II of biotransformation. Result of this reaction is metabolite - thymol sulfate.
Probably glutathione S-transferase (EC:2.5.1.18) is implicated:
Thyme (Thymus vulgaris L.) leaves and its constituents increase the activities of xenobiotic-metabolizing enzymes in mouse liver.
The effects of thyme (Thymus vulgaris L.) leaves and its phenolic compounds, thymol and carvacrol, on the activities of xenobiotic-metabolizing enzymes, i.e., phase I enzymes such as 7-ethoxycoumarin O-deethylase (ECOD) and phase II enzymes such as glutathione S-transferase (GST) and quinone reductase (QR), were investigated. Mice were fed with a diet containing thyme (0.5% or 2.0%) or treated orally with thymol (50-200 mg/kg) or carvacrol (50-200 mg/kg) once a day for 7 successive days, and then the enzyme activities in the livers were analyzed. Dietary administration of 2% thyme caused slightly but significantly higher ECOD, GST, and QR activities by 1.1-1.4-fold. Thymol (200 mg/kg) treatment resulted in significantly higher ECOD, GST, and QR activities by 1.3-1.9-fold, and carvacrol (200 mg/kg) treatment caused significantly higher ECOD, GST, and QR activities by 1.3-1.7-fold. Thymol-treated animals had significantly higher protein levels of GST alpha and GST micro, and carvacrol-treated animals had significantly higher levels of GST micro. These results imply that thyme contains bifunctional inducers (i.e., substances capable of inducing both phase I and phase II enzymes) and that thymol and carvacrol may account for the effects of thyme. ...
Thyme leaves contain thymol that increases xenobiotic-metabolizing enzymes. sulfotransferase b, that might show significantly higher ECOD, GST, and QR activities.