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Origanum vulgare Linn.; Photo by Christian Bauer
The herb known as common oregano (Origanum vulgare Linn.) is a member of the mint family (Lamiaceae), a grouping of botanicals that are aromatic in most, if not all, parts of their plant structures, i.e., the leaves, stems, roots, and seeds.
Besides oregano, mints include a variety of familiar culinary herbs such as basil, peppermint, rosemary, sage, savory, marjoram (often substituted for oregano), thyme, lavender, and perilla. The mint family also includes shrubs such as Stauton elsholtzia (Elsholtzia stauntonii), trees such as teak (Tectona grandis), and a few vines. Many mints are easily cultivated, owing not only to their aromatic qualities but also their ease of cultivation, and often are propagated by stem cuttings, and are not only prized for culinary purposes but for decorative uses as well.
Mint leaves are decussate, or whorled (arranged oppositely, both with respect to each leaf pair as well as in successive pairs) on the stem. Many, but not all, mint stems exhibit a square cross section. Their flowers have five united petals and sepals, and are bilaterally symmetrical, typically bisexual, and verticillastrate.
Origanum vulgare is a complex herb with a long history of culinary usage, and a well-known safety profile. It is known to express, in its oils and aqueous extracts, over 21 important, individually identifiable compounds, many of which have been celebrated for centuries, by natives living within its natural range, for their medicinal properties. It, along with most of the other members of the Lamiaceae family, has been the subject of numerous scientific inquiries regarding the efficacy of its chemical constituents as — among the medicinal and health-maintinence faculties discovered long ago — antioxidants, fungicides and antibiotics.
Another role of these constituents involves their use, singly or in combomnation, as micro-cleansers and habitat modifiers, assisting mankind in our never-ending quest to improve the quality of our lives. Analyses of scientific studies relating to these topics is underway in conjunction with a series of experiments being conducted in the EntomoBiotics Inc. laboratory. Details will be presented here, in future expansions of the content of this article. A partial list of recent scientific papers on this subject is provided below.
References to Relevant Scientific Literature:
- Adams, Amber, et al. 2011. Anti-yeast activities of Origanum oil against human pathogenic yeasts. Advances in Bioscience and Biotechnology, 2011, 2, 103-107
- Ashrafi, Zaman, et al. 2011. In Vitro Antibacterial and Antifungal Activity of Methanol, Chloroform and Aqueous Extracts of Origanum vulgare and Their Comparative Analysis. International Journal of Organic Chemistry, 2011, 1, 257-261
- Benevides, Victor, et al. 2010. Effects of aqueous extract of Origanum vulgare L. (Lamiaceae) on the preimplantational mouse embryo. Review of Peruvian Biology 17(3):381-384.
- Cervato, Giovanna. 2000. Antioxidant Properties of Oregano (Origanum vulgare) Leaf Extracts. Journal of Food Biochemistry 24 (2000) 453-465.
- Cioroi, Maria. 2009. Study on total polyphenols and reducing power of aqueous extracts from selected Lamiaceae species. Journal of Agroalimentary Processes and Technologies 15(4):521-524
- Khan, Aslam, et al. 2011. Antiurolithic activity of Origanum vulgare is mediated through multiple pathways. BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine 2011, 11:96.
- Kulišic. Tea, et al. 2006. Antioxidant Activity of Aqueous Tea Infusions Prepared from Oregano, Thyme and Wild Thyme. Food Technol. Biotechnol. 44 (4) 485–492.
- Naima, Oukil, et al. 2011. Antioxidant activity and separation of phenolic compounds of Origanum glandulosum from north Algeria by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). African Journal of Biotechnology Vol. 10(17), pp. 3451-3454
- Nisha, M. C., et al. 2010. Comparative Studies on Antimicrobial Activity of Artemisia Sieversiana Ehrhart. Ex. Willd. and Origanum vulgare L. International Journal of PharmTech Research 2(2):1124-1127
- Sheibani, Vahid, et al. 2011. Evaluation of Origanum Vulgare L. ssp. Viridis Leaves Extract Effect on Discrimination Learning and LTP Induction in the CA1 Region of the Rat Hippocampus. Iranian Journal of Basic Medical Sciences 14(1):177-184.
- Sartoratto, Adilson, et al. 2004. Composition and Antimicrobial Activity of Essential Oils from Aromatic Plants Used in Brazil. Brazilian Journal of Microbiology (2004) 35:275-280
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