January 29, 2022
Origanum vulgare L. is a widely used aromatic plant, especially due to its content in essential oil, mainly rich in carvacrol and thymol. The ethnopharmacological uses of Origanum vulgare L. essential oil (OEO) comprise digestive, respiratory, or dermatological disorders.
The effectiveness of Origanum vulgare L. essential oil (OEO) against a wide range of pathogenic bacteria has been extensively studied. As it has been shown by an increased number of studies in the field, OEO represents an efficient alternative as an antimicrobial agent against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacterial strain. The disinfectant and antibacterial properties of the OEO were attested for the first time in ancient Greece, where it was frequently utilized for treating bacterial skin and wound contaminations. It was also used as a food preservative. Carvacrol and thymol represent the two primary phenols, constituting almost 78–85% of the OEO and they are responsible for the plant’s antimicrobial properties . The antibacterial activity of the OEO results from the high level of thymol which, according to Lambert et al. ties to membrane proteins and increases the permeability of the bacterial cell membrane. In the same way, carvacrol acts on bacterial cells causing structural and functional damage, which increases bacterial cell membrane permeability.