IL6 and colitis: Thymol present in thyme and oregano oils (0.05–0.4%) was shown to inhibit 2,4,6-trinitrobenzenesulfonic acid-induced colitis by decreasing the mRNA expressions of pro inflammatory cytokines (IL-1β, IL-6, granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) and TNF-α) and protein expressions of IL-1β and IL-6 in mice (Bukovska et al., 2007).