Biological Activities of Three Essential Oils of the Lamiaceae Family

Abstract

Herbs and spices have been used since ancient times to improve the sensory characteristics of food, to act as preservatives and for their nutritional and healthy properties. Herbs and spices are generally recognized as safe (GRAS) and are excellent substitutes for chemical additives. Essential oils are mixtures of volatile compounds obtained, mainly by steam distillation, from medicinal and aromatic plants. They are an alternative to synthetic additives for the food industry, and they have gained attention as potential sources for natural food preservatives due to the growing interest in the development of safe, effective, natural food preservation. Lamiaceae is one of the most important families in the production of essential oils with antioxidants and antimicrobial properties. Aromatic plants are rich in essential oils and are mainly found in the Mediterranean region, where the production of such oils is a profitable source of ecological and economic development. The use of essential oils with antimicrobial and antioxidant properties to increase the shelf life of food is a promising technology, and the essential oils of the Lamiaceae family, such as rosemary, thyme, and sage, have been extensively studied with respect to their use as food preservatives. Regarding the new applications of essential oils, this review gives an overview of the current knowledge and recent trends in the use of these oils from aromatic plants as antimicrobials and antioxidants in foods, as well as their biological activities, future potential, and challenges.

Morphological, Biochemical, and Molecular Analysis of Origanum vulgare L.

“…Oregano plants are known to possess a special composition of Essential Oil (EO) which is of great interest for pharmaceutical and industrial market [5,6]. Furthermore, it was grouped into different chemotypes: Acyclic, cymyl, bicyclic, and/or bornane type compounds depending on the predominance of particular components as (a) linalool, linalyl acetate, β-ocimene and myrcene; (b) p-cymene, γ-terpinene, pcymene-8-ol, thymol methyl ether, carvacrol methyl ether, thymoquinone, thymol and carvacrol; (c) sabinene, trans-/cissabinene hydrate and their acetate; and (d) camphor, borneol, bornyl acetate, respectively [1, 4, 7 -10].…”

Evaluation of the Chemical Profiling, Total Phenolic Composition, the Antioxidant and Antimicrobial Properties of the Essential Oils of Mentha piperita L., Salvia officinalis L., and Thymus vulgaris L.

“…This might explain the fact that the synergistic or antagonistic effect of one compound in the EO content has to be taken into account even though it exists in a minor percentage in the composition of the mixture. This information in the literature should be remembered, too, although the antimicrobial activity of the EOs is attributed mainly to their main compounds in their contents [31].…”

Chemical composition and antibacterial activity of Origanum ramonense essential oil on the β-lactamase and extended- spectrum β-lactamase urinary tract isolates

“…The antibacterial potency of carvacrol and its isomer thymol, has been reported with extremely low minimum inhibitory concentration and minimum bactericidal concentration values (Qaralleh et al, 2009;Althunibat et al, 2016). Carvacrol is considered as one of the most bactericidal essential oil components against both Gram positive and Gram negative bacteria (Hammer et al, 1999;Nieto, 2017). Mihajilov-Kristev et al, showed that essential oil (Satureja hortensis) rich in carvacrol (67%) and γ-terpinene (15%) are strong bacteriostatic and bactericidal agent against both Gram positive and Gram negative bacteria with low minimum inhibitory concentration and minimum bactericidal concentration values (0.025-0.78 μL/mL) (Mihajilov-Krstev et al, 2010).…”