OBTAINING AROMATIC WATER BY STEAM DISTILLATION FROM THYME HERB (THYMUS SERPYLLUM) NATIVE TO THE KYRGYZ REPUBLIC

112 Volume 5, Issue 10: Special Issue (EJAR) ISSN: 2181-2020 MPHAPP THE 6TH INTERNATIONAL SCIENTIFIC AND PRACTICAL CONFERENCE “MODERN PHARMACEUTICS: ACTUAL PROBLEMS AND PROSPECTS” TASHKENT, OCTOBER 17, 2025 in-academy.uz OBTAINING AROMATIC WATER BY STEAM DISTILLATION FROM THYME HERB (THYMUS SERPYLLUM) NATIVE TO THE KYRGYZ REPUBLIC Erkebaeva A.N.1 Zhalalova N.K.2 Kyrgyz State Medical Academy named after I.K. Akhunbaev, Bishkek city, Kyrgyz Republic e-mail: [email protected] https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17324151 Relevance. Aromatic waters are widely used in pharmacy and phytocosmetology due to their natural origin and mild effect on the skin. Of particular interest is the hydrolate obtained from the herb thyme creeper (Thymus serpyllum), which has antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties. Obtaining high-quality hydrolate using the steam distillation method allows preserving the biologically active components of creeping thyme and may expand the possibilities of its use in the pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries. The purpose of the study: To obtain aromatic water from thyme herb by steam distillation and to evaluate its properties. Materials and methods: The object of the study was a creeping thyme herb harvested during the flowering period (June–July 2024) in the Issyk-Kul region (jailoo Karkyra). Distillation was carried out in an apparatus with a capacity of 1000 ml, where 10.0 g of dry raw materials and 600 ml of water were placed. The process was carried out in a boiling water bath for 90 minutes using a reverse refrigerator. The content of aromatic water in terms of thymol in absolutely dry raw materials (X, %) was calculated using the formula: Х = V ∗ 100 m ∗ (100 − W) V - is the volume of aromatic water containing thymol in ml m - is the mass of the absolute dry raw material in grams W - is the weight loss during drying of the raw material in %; Results: During the study, 500 ml of aromatic thyme water was obtained by steam distillation in 90 minutes. As a result, condensation formed, which contains the water-soluble aromatic compounds of thyme creeping thymol. Thus, the steam distillation method made it possible to obtain a stable product suitable for further use in pharmaceutical and cosmetic practice. Conclusions: The hydrolate obtained from the herb thyme creeper, distilled with steam, is characterized by the preservation of volatile aromatic compounds of thymol, which provides it with a mild antiseptic and anti-inflammatory effect. This confirms the expediency of using thyme aromatic water in pharmaceutical and cosmetic practice. A promising area of further research is to study the antioxidant activity of the hydrolate, as well as to evaluate its stability during long-term storage.