Essential oil and ethanol extract of oregano (Origanum vulgare L.) from Armenian flora as natural source of terpenes, flavonoids and other phytochemicals with antiradical, antioxidant, metal chelating, tyrosinase inhibitory and antibacterial activity.
Moghrovyan A, Sahakyan N, Babayan A, Chichoyan N, Petrosyan M, Trchounian A.
Curr Pharm Des. 2019 Jul 1. doi: 10.2174/1381612825666190702095612.

Antimicrobial activity of cellulosic pads amended with emulsions of essential oils of oregano, thyme and cinnamon against microorganisms in minced beef meat.
Agrimonti C, White JC, Tonetti S, Marmiroli N.
Int J Food Microbiol. 2019 Sep 16;305:108246. doi: 10.1016/j.ijfoodmicro.2019.108246.

Oregano (Origanum vulgare) extract for food preservation and improvement in gastrointestinal health.
Veenstra JP, Johnson JJ.
Int J Nutr. 2019;3(4):43-52. doi: 10.14302/issn.2379-7835.ijn-19-2703

Evaluation of antioxidant and antimicrobial activity of oregano (Origanum vulgare L.) preparations during storage of low-pressure mechanically separated meat (BAADER meat) from chickens.
Hać-Szymańczuk E, Cegiełka A, Karkos M, Gniewosz M, Piwowarek K.
Food Sci Biotechnol. 2018 Oct 16;28(2):449-457. doi: 10.1007/s10068-018-0491-1.

Influence of oregano essential oil on the inhibition of selected pathogens in "Alheira" during storage.
Carvalho MIP, Albano HCP, Teixeira PCM.
Acta Sci Pol Technol Aliment. 2019 Jan-Mar;18(1):13-23. doi: 10.17306/J.AFS.0624.

Effect of oregano (Origanum vulgare L. ssp. hirtum) and clove (Eugenia spp.) nanoemulsions on Zygosaccharomyces bailii survival in salad dressings.
Ribes S, Fuentes A, Barat JM.
Food Chem. 2019 Oct 15;295:630-636. doi: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2019.05.173.

Cellular antioxidant activity and in vitro inhibition of α-glucosidase, α-amylase and pancreatic lipase of oregano polyphenols under simulated gastrointestinal digestion.
Gutiérrez-Grijalva EP, Antunes-Ricardo M, Acosta-Estrada BA, Gutiérrez-Uribe JA, Basilio Heredia J.
Food Res Int. 2019 Feb;116:676-686. doi: 10.1016/j.foodres.2018.08.096.

Oregano (Origanum vulgare L.) is an aromatic plant that belongs to the Lamiaceae family and grows in temperate climates.

The genus Origanum includes many species having different chemical and morphological composition.

Oregano has been used as a condiment and food flavour enhancer since ancient Greece.

In traditional medicine oregano has been used for coughing, asthma, bronchitis, indigestion and diarrhea.

Today it is used in the food (salads, pizza, meat fish sauces, sauces), cosmetics (refreshing baths) and medical (antiseptic, expectorant, tonic) sectors.

Oregano is used to make an essential oil containing carvacrol and thymol, two phenolic monoterpenes with antimicrobial, antioxidant (1), antibacterial (2) and antifungal (3) properties.

Oregano contains a good amount of rosmarinic acid, 14.62 mg/g, which has neuroprotective and anti-atherosclerosis activity (4).

Oregano studies

The species Origanum has as subspecies:

• Origanum vulgare subsp. L. vulgare
• Origanum vulgare subsp. L. glandulosum
• Origanum vulgare subsp. L. gracile

Other best-known Origanum species:

• Origanum acutidens
• Origanum akhdarense 
• Origanum amanum
• Origanum bargyli 
• Origanum bilgeri
• Origanum boissieri
• Origanum brevidens
• Origanum cyrenaicum
• Origanum dayi 
• Origanum dictamnus 
• Origanum elongatum
• Origanum floribundum
• Origanum grosii 
• Origanum haussknechtii
• Origanum heracleoticum
• Origanum hypericifolium
• Origanum jordanicum
• Origanum leptocladum
• Origanum libanoticum
• Origanum majorana
• Origanum micranthum
• Origanum microphyllum
• Origanum minutiflorum
• Origanum petraeum
• Origanum onites 
• Origanum punonense
• Origanum ramonense
• Origanum rotundifolium 
• Origanum saccatum
• Origanum solymicum
• Origanum symes
• Origanum syriacum

References__________________________________

(1) Screening chemical composition and in vitro antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of the essential oils from Origanum syriacum L. growing in Turkey. Alma M, Mavi A, Yildirim A, Digrak M, Hirata T.  Biol Pharm Bull. 2003 Dec;26(12):1725-9.

(2) Antibacterial activity and composition of essential oils from Origanum, Thymbra and Satureja species with commercial importance in Turkey Baydar H, Sagdic O, Ozkan G, Karadogan T.  doi.org/10.1016/S0956-7135(03)00028-8

(3) Chemical composition and antifungal activity of the essential oil of Origanum virens on Candida species.  Salgueiro LR, Cavaleiro C, Pinto E, Pina-Vaz C, Rodrigues AG, Palmeira A, Tavares C, Costa-de-Oliveira S, Gonçalves MJ, Martinez-de-Oliveira J.  Planta Med. 2003 Sep;69(9):871-4.

(4) Recent studies on rosmarinic acid and its biological and pharmacological activities.  Al-Dhabi NA, Arasu MV, Park CH, Park SU.  EXCLI J. 2014 Oct 30;13:1192-5. eCollection 2014.