Background-of-the-study.docx

Chapter I Introduction Background of the Study Oregano is a culinary and medicinal herb from the mint, or Lamiaceae family. It has been used in medicine and cooking for thousands of years. It adds flavor, and it may have a number of health benefits. The chemicals that give the herb its unique and pleasant smell are thymol, pinene, limonene, carvacrol, ocimene, and caryophyllene. The herb has shown antimicrobial activity in a number of studies. According to J. Agric. Food Chem., 2005, 53 (21), pp 8162–8168, Origanum vulgare essential oils were effective against 41 strains of the food pathogen Listeria monocytogenes. Though typically used in small amounts, oregano packs in some important nutrients. Just one teaspoon of dried oregano can fulfill about 8% of your daily vitamin K needs. Oregano is rich in antioxidants, which are compounds that help fight damage from harmful free radicals in the body. According to the expert of the website

www.healthline.com, oregano essential oil is especially high in carvacrol and thymol, two antioxidants that can help prevent damage to cells caused by free radicals. One test-tube study showed that oregano essential oil helped block the growth of Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, two strains of bacteria that can cause infection. Furthermore, a test-tube study compared the antimicrobial activity of oregano, sage and thyme essential oils. Oregano was one of the most efficient essential oils against bacteria, second to thyme