Oregano, part of long-standing food traditions and folk medicine.
Oregano is a member of the mint family -- known scientifically as Lamiaceae -- of which there are a number of varieties. Various cultures use oregano in their cuisine. In alternative medicine, oregano oil is used for purposes ranging from curing diseases to general sterilization.
Disease
A research project conducted by Wen-Xian et al, through the United States Department of Agriculture, tested the active ingredient of oregano oil, cavracrol. Cavracrol was tested in a vapor form to see if it could destroy E. coli, and was found to be able to do so. This project was accepted for publication in February 2011.
Food Preservation
In a study published by A. Govaris et al in the International Journal of Food Science and Nutrition, oregano oil was found to stop lipid oxidation in turkey meat. The study found that meat from turkeys given oregano oil in their diet had less lipid oxidation than turkey meat with the oregano oil added after the turkey was slaughtered.
Insecticide
A study published by A. Ayvaz et al in the 2010 edition of the Journal of Insect Science tested the ability of oregano oil, from Origanum onites,to kill insects. Oregano oil was found to be effective against the species E. kuehniella, as well as the species P. interpunctella.
Consideration
In 2005, Federal Trade Commission took Great American Products, Inc. (GAP) and Physician's Choice, Inc. to court over its claims that products of theirs containing oregano helped certain ailments. The FTC did this because the company had no scientific evidence to back up its claims.
Approximately six years later, in a study published by F. El Babili et al, in the April 2011 edition of the Journal of Food Science, oregano essential oil from Origanum compactum was shown to be an antioxidant and an antimalarial. In this same study it was also determined that oregano essential oil was non-toxic.
Tags: study published, edition Journal, Food Science, from Origanum, Journal Food, Journal Food Science, lipid oxidation
