Preview

Oregano

Better Essays
Open Document
Open Document
1417 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Oregano
INTRODUCTION
Oregano (Scientific name: Origanum vulgare) is also known as Wild Marjoram, Mountain Mint, Origanum, Wintersweet and Winter Marjoram. This erectly spreading plant has strong aromatic characteristics, with leaves and stems that are fleshy. The leaves of oregano are heart-shaped, with toothed edges, and which, grow for up to 9 meters in length. In other countries, the plant is primarily used as a culinary ingredient. However, in countries like the Philippines, Oregano is a known herbal medicine for its strong anti-oxidant properties. Plant family: Lamiaceae (mint family).

Sensoric quality: Aromatic, warm and slightly bitter. Oregano largely varies in intensity: Good quality is so strong that it almost numbs the tongue, but the cultivars adapted to colder climate have often unsatisfactory flavor.
Main constituents: The essential oil (max. 4%) may contain variable amounts of the two phenols carvacrol and thymol (see also thyme and savory); furthermore, a variety of monoterpene hydrocarbons (limonene, terpinene, ocimene, caryophyllene, beta-bisabolene and p-cymene) and monoterpene alcohols (linalool, 4-terpineol) are reported.
In Mexican oregano (Lippia graveolens) an essential oil of very similar constitution is found. A typical analysis is as follows: 50% thymol, 12% carvacrol, 9% p-cymene and a number of further monoterpenoids (1,8 cineol, gamma-terpinene, terpinene-4-ol and terpinene-4-yl acetate) in amounts between 1 and 5%. Flowering Oregano. This Italian cultivar has an exceptionally intensive flavor.
Origin: Several species of genus Origanum are native to the Mediterranean, all of which are traded as a spice. The influence of climate, season and soil on the composition of the essential oil is greater than the difference between the various species. The most important species are O. vulgare (pan-European), O. onites (Greece, Asia Minor) and O. heracleoticum (Italy, Balkan peninsular, West Asia). A closely related plant is marjoram

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Powerful Essays

    As a group, we chose oregano and colloidal silver as our samples. In our agar plate #1, the zone of inhibition for oregano and colloidal silver measured at 7mm. For agar plate #2, the zone of inhibition for oregano measured at 7mm, and for colloidal silver at 6.75mm. We were not the only group who used oregano as a sample, their results measured at 7.5mm.…

    • 939 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Better Essays

    The purpose of this lab was to obtain a pure sample of clove oil from ground cloves using steam distillation, perform infrared spectroscopy on the sample, and analyze the IR to identify the major constituent in the clove oil. The first day the clove oil was removed from the ground cloves into an aqueous solution then removed from the water using DCM. The sample was left in a sealed container for one week and then isolated by drying the sample and removing the DCM. After the clove oil was isolated it was analyzed using IR spectroscopy.…

    • 1121 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Returning back to clove oil, which is used in this experiment, this oil is extracted from a small evergreen tree called Syzygium aromaticum that is found in Indonesia, Madagascar, and Zanzibar. Clove oil consists of an essential oil which is a volatile mixture of water-insoluble components that releases an odor and other characteristic of the plant. In this experiment we abstracted the major component of clove oil by codistillation with water through steam distillation and dichloromethane extractions. Also, IR spectrometry was used to identify the unknown constituent. An IR spectrum shows the characteristic…

    • 938 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    In addition, the IR of the product from the steam distillation of cloves closely corresponds with that of an authentic sample of eugenol shown in the lab text.9 Therefore, it can be concluded that the oil which was isolated from cloves is in fact, eugenol.…

    • 289 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Isolation of Eugenol

    • 559 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Simple distillation of whole cloves produced 0.712 g of a yellow oil with spicy aromatic odor, which contained in its IR spectrum the functional groups O-H (at 3453 cm-1), sp2 C-H (3009 cm-1), C=C-H (2980 cm-1), and alkene C=C (at 1600 cm-1) and aromatic C=C (at 1520 cm-1). These data are consistent with the structure of eugenol. In addition, the IR of the product from the simple distillation of cloves closely corresponds with that of an…

    • 559 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Oregano is a traditional herb that is known for its natural immune support. Its oil contains carvacrol, a monoterpene phenol that serves as its primary germ-killing ingredient, and it provides many of the health benefits of the oregano. It also contains thymol, a powerful substance which is also a monoterpene phenol and is a natural fungicide with antiseptic properties. Esters are also strong antifungal agents, and two of these are abundant in oregano oil, namely linalyl acetate and geranyl acetate. Together, these substances make oregano oil a great natural alternative to treat infections. These substances also made the researchers see the potential of oregano oil as a possible…

    • 798 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Essential oils are extracted from plants, trees and fruits and usually have a particular fragrance. Often they have medicinal or soothing effects that are included in homeopathic remedies - tea tree oil for example is extracted from an Australian plant that was originally used by aboriginals for healing purposes. Eucalyptus is often used in decongestants to clear the sinuses, and could be put to use in an aromatherapy candle for someone suffering from a cold or flu.…

    • 551 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The use of essential oils began in the nineteenth century being used as flavour and aroma enhancers and quickly became popular. Since then they have become widespread over several industries pharmaceutical, cosmetic, medicinal and in food. There are 300 of the 3,000 different essential oils known being used commercially. As the synthetic preservatives became widely used because of their cheap production and relentless antimicrobial activity the use of essential oils as preservatives became less common and less studied. Nowadays synthetic preservatives such as parabens are frowned upon their use and products containing them will not be bought for fear of their health issues. The over use of antibiotics has led to microbial resistance against…

    • 240 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    5. Singh, M., & Singh, N. (2011). Comparison of antimicrobial activity of herbs & spices…

    • 775 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Eucalyptus Oil

    • 545 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Some natural hydrocarbons are conjugated dienes or trienes. The majority of conjugated dienes have chemical properties not shared by other dienes. These adducts are typically crystalline solids that can be separated from the other compounds of an essential oil and used to identify the diene. Dienes and trienes occur in the essential oils of a number of plants and contribute to the flavors and aromas of such plants. The conjugated diene called β-myrcene is responsible for much of the fragrance and flavor of bay leaves. β-Myrcene is also present in hops, verbena, and lemongrass oil. β-Ocimene was first isolated from the Javanese oil of basil and is usually found in combination with allo-ocimene. Both of the phellandrenes derive their name from water fennel Phellandrium aquaticum, but α-phellandrene apparently doesn 't occur in that plant; it was mistaken for its isomer, β-phellandrene, which does. α-Phellandrene is found in the oils of bitter fennel, ginger grass, cinnamon, and star anise; β-phellandrene also occurs in lemon oil and Japanese peppermint oil. Another cyclic diene, α-terpinene, is obtained from the essential oils of cardamom, marjoram, and coriander. The Diels-Alder reaction is stereoselective, usually yielding only one of several possible stereoisomers.…

    • 545 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Steam Distillation

    • 614 Words
    • 3 Pages

    In this experiment, it was shown that about 3.8% of oil could be recovered from cloves by steam distillation. This oil was identified as eugenol by comparison of its infrared spectrum with an authentic sample.…

    • 614 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    An Essential oil is the fluids from a plant in which it take on the odor and/or taste of the plant one extracts it from. Essential oils have been used through out history dating back to the bible, but had gone cold until 1928 when a French chemist by the name of Rene-Maurice Gattefosse had accidentally burned his hand severely while working. He plunged his hand into the nearest container which happened to be lavender oil instead of Water. To his surprise, his hand did not have any burn scars to be seen. This “ Re-discovery” has opened doors to thousands of uses of essential oils.…

    • 478 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In South American rosehip essential oil has been around for centuries. It comes from a wild rose-bush, that grows in the southern Andes and Chile.…

    • 1000 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Aromatherapy

    • 537 Words
    • 3 Pages

    The natural oils used in aromatherapy can be extracted from specific parts of various natural plants including the flowers, stems, leaves, roots or bark. Here we look at various aromatherapy oils and natural oils and the benefits they offer. Tea tree is known as an anti-virus, anti-fungal, anti-septic and immune stimulant. It also helps in the healing of sinus, cough and asthma relieve, treatment of acne and dandruff. It can also benefit people with depression, stress and mental weaknesses. Use of this product as an…

    • 537 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Essential oils are drawn out of various parts of plants. The process or drawing the oils out of the plants is known as extraction. One thing science does do is help test the quality of the essential oils. There are many fake essential oils that mimic the smell of the one with more value. Test are put into place to…

    • 622 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays

Related Topics