Humans have employed medicinal plants for thousands of years in
traditional medicine. Oregano has been cultivated mainly for
centuries in the Mediterranean area, although it now can be found
on most continents. Oregano is one of the most popular plants in
Spanish traditional remedies and its leaves have been used in
traditional medicines in order to treat illness such as aching
muscle, skin sores, asthma, digestion disorders, infections,
inflammation or maintaining general health. In addition, oregano
has been used since ancient times as an ingredient in Mediterranean
diet. In this sense, there are several species of oregano, being
Spanish thyme or Origanum vulgare, the spice variety sold most in
the United States and Europe. Nowadays the use of oregano is not
exclusive for culinary proposes, because the consumers' concerns
about the use of synthetic additives into foods have led the food
industry to the search for green strategies. In this sense, oregano
extracts, essential oils and individual compounds from this herb
have demonstrated antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anticancer, and
antimicrobial actions, which may contribute to the capacity to
avoid human infections or to protect the cardiovascular and nervous
systems by blood glucose and lipid modulation. Therefore, based on
the current scientific literature, oregano essential oil can be
considered as a rich source of bioactive compounds and its addition
to food matrices transmit these benefits; this approach can be used
as a tool to generate functional foods. This book reviews and
discusses oregano containing several potent antimicrobial,
antioxidant compounds that may contribute to benefit the nervous
and cardiovascular systems. In addition, the opportunity of using
Origanum vulgare as potential platform for producing polyphenols,
biogas and energy under biorefinery approach has been discussed.
Moreover, the possibility to be added into foods as natural
additives and a strategy in order to improve human health was also
discussed. In this sense, the inclusion of oregano into meat
products, yogurt, juices and others could be an interesting
strategy to produce functional foods. The oregano extract and
essential oil represents a good strategy in order to substitute
synthetic antioxidants and to produce functional foods with an
extended shelf life. Several industries are now looking for sources
of new, natural and safe agents. Essential oil from Origanum spp.
has shown efficacy retarding lipid oxidation in food matrices.
Oregano essential oil possesses strong antimicrobial activity
against food pathogen bacteria highlighting its potential as a tool
to achieve food safety. Oregano essential oil has shown efficacy in
reducing microbial growth of deteriorative microorganisms
(bacteria, yeast, molds), representing the potential to increase
shelf-life of food. Oregano essential oil can be considered as a
rich source of bioactive compounds and its addition to food
matrices transmit these benefits; this approach can be used as a
tool to generate functional foods. Results obtained from numerous
studies can help to exploit the use of the Origanum EOs studied as
the functional food and pharmacological ingredients for promoting
health.
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