An official website of the United States government.

Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock ( ) or https:// means you've safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Plant Origanum onites (Lamiaceae)

Common Names
Oregano; Pot Marjoram
How this plant is used
Food

Select a Results View:

View the list of ubiquitous chemicals
List of plant chemicals.
Click on column headings to sort table by that column. *Unless otherwise noted all references are to (Duke, 1992)
Chemical Name Activity Count Plant Part Low Parts Per Million High Parts Per Million Standard Deviation Reference
1,8-CINEOLE 67 Plant not available 23.0 -0.56 Lawrence, B.M., Essential Oils 1976-1977, Essential Oils 1978, Essential Oils 1979-1980.
1,8-CINEOLE 67 Shoot not available 0.0 -0.14 Biondi, D., Cianci, P., Geraci, C. and Ruberto, G. 1993. Antimicrobial Activity and Chemical Composition of Essential Oils from Sicilian Aromatic Plants. Flav. & Frag. J. 8: 331-7.
3-CARENE 0 Shoot not available 18.0 0.46 Biondi, D., Cianci, P., Geraci, C. and Ruberto, G. 1993. Antimicrobial Activity and Chemical Composition of Essential Oils from Sicilian Aromatic Plants. Flav. & Frag. J. 8: 331-7.
4,5-DIMETHYL-2-ETHYLPHENOL 0 Shoot not available 0.0 -1.00 Biondi, D., Cianci, P., Geraci, C. and Ruberto, G. 1993. Antimicrobial Activity and Chemical Composition of Essential Oils from Sicilian Aromatic Plants. Flav. & Frag. J. 8: 331-7.
4-TERPINEOL 8 Shoot not available 525.0 1.70 Lagouri, V., Blekas, G., Tsimidou, M., Kokkini, S., and Boskou, D. 1993. Composition and Antioxidant Activity of Essential Oils from Oregano Plants Grown Wild in Greece. Z. Lebensm Unters Forsch 197: 20-23.
ALPHA,ALPHA-DIMETHYLBENZYLALCOHOL 0 Shoot not available 0.1 1.00 Biondi, D., Cianci, P., Geraci, C. and Ruberto, G. 1993. Antimicrobial Activity and Chemical Composition of Essential Oils from Sicilian Aromatic Plants. Flav. & Frag. J. 8: 331-7.
ALPHA-BISABOLENE 0 Shoot not available 0.0 -0.61 Biondi, D., Cianci, P., Geraci, C. and Ruberto, G. 1993. Antimicrobial Activity and Chemical Composition of Essential Oils from Sicilian Aromatic Plants. Flav. & Frag. J. 8: 331-7.
ALPHA-CARYOPHYLLENE 0 Shoot not available 0.0 -0.29 Lagouri, V., Blekas, G., Tsimidou, M., Kokkini, S., and Boskou, D. 1993. Composition and Antioxidant Activity of Essential Oils from Oregano Plants Grown Wild in Greece. Z. Lebensm Unters Forsch 197: 20-23.
ALPHA-CUBEBENE 0 Shoot not available 0.1 -0.59 Biondi, D., Cianci, P., Geraci, C. and Ruberto, G. 1993. Antimicrobial Activity and Chemical Composition of Essential Oils from Sicilian Aromatic Plants. Flav. & Frag. J. 8: 331-7.
ALPHA-ELEMENOL 0 Shoot not available 0.0 not available Biondi, D., Cianci, P., Geraci, C. and Ruberto, G. 1993. Antimicrobial Activity and Chemical Composition of Essential Oils from Sicilian Aromatic Plants. Flav. & Frag. J. 8: 331-7.
ALPHA-ELEMOL 0 Shoot not available 45.0 0.26 Biondi, D., Cianci, P., Geraci, C. and Ruberto, G. 1993. Antimicrobial Activity and Chemical Composition of Essential Oils from Sicilian Aromatic Plants. Flav. & Frag. J. 8: 331-7.
ALPHA-HUMULENE 4 Shoot not available 20.0 -0.23 Biondi, D., Cianci, P., Geraci, C. and Ruberto, G. 1993. Antimicrobial Activity and Chemical Composition of Essential Oils from Sicilian Aromatic Plants. Flav. & Frag. J. 8: 331-7.
ALPHA-HUMULENE-EPOXIDE 1 Shoot not available 0.0 -1.00 Biondi, D., Cianci, P., Geraci, C. and Ruberto, G. 1993. Antimicrobial Activity and Chemical Composition of Essential Oils from Sicilian Aromatic Plants. Flav. & Frag. J. 8: 331-7.
ALPHA-MUUROLENE 0 Shoot not available 33.0 0.03 Lagouri, V., Blekas, G., Tsimidou, M., Kokkini, S., and Boskou, D. 1993. Composition and Antioxidant Activity of Essential Oils from Oregano Plants Grown Wild in Greece. Z. Lebensm Unters Forsch 197: 20-23.
ALPHA-PHELLANDRENE 22 Shoot not available 45.0 -0.20 Biondi, D., Cianci, P., Geraci, C. and Ruberto, G. 1993. Antimicrobial Activity and Chemical Composition of Essential Oils from Sicilian Aromatic Plants. Flav. & Frag. J. 8: 331-7.
ALPHA-PINENE 28 Plant not available 16.0 -0.47 Lawrence, B.M., Essential Oils 1976-1977, Essential Oils 1978, Essential Oils 1979-1980.
ALPHA-PINENE 56 Shoot not available 60.0 -0.14 Biondi, D., Cianci, P., Geraci, C. and Ruberto, G. 1993. Antimicrobial Activity and Chemical Composition of Essential Oils from Sicilian Aromatic Plants. Flav. & Frag. J. 8: 331-7.
ALPHA-TERPINENE 13 Plant not available 47.0 -0.43 Lawrence, B.M., Essential Oils 1976-1977, Essential Oils 1978, Essential Oils 1979-1980.
ALPHA-TERPINENE 26 Shoot not available 350.0 0.50 Biondi, D., Cianci, P., Geraci, C. and Ruberto, G. 1993. Antimicrobial Activity and Chemical Composition of Essential Oils from Sicilian Aromatic Plants. Flav. & Frag. J. 8: 331-7.
ALPHA-TERPINEOL 46 Shoot not available 28.0 -0.26 Biondi, D., Cianci, P., Geraci, C. and Ruberto, G. 1993. Antimicrobial Activity and Chemical Composition of Essential Oils from Sicilian Aromatic Plants. Flav. & Frag. J. 8: 331-7.
View the list of ubiquitous chemicals
List of plant activities.
Click on column headings to sort table by that column. *Unless otherwise noted all references are to (Duke, 1992)
Activity Chemical Count Reference
Antiadenomic 2 Duke, 1992 *
Antiaggregant 2 Phytotherapy Research, 4: 93.
Antiallergic 2 J. Food Hyg. Soc. Jap. 33(6): 569.
Antialzheimeran? 3 Grundy, D. L. and Still, C. C., Inhibition of acetylcholinesterases by pulegone-1,2-epoxide, Oest. Biochem. & Physiol., 23, 1985, 383-8.
Antiarachidonate 1 Duke, 1992 *
Antiarthritic 1 Madaus, G. 1976. Lehrbuch der Biologischen Hilfmittel. Vol,. 1-3. 2862 pp. (+ 144 p. index). Georg Olms Verlag, Hildescheim. Reprint of 1938 Madaus.
Antiasthmatic 4 Duke, 1992 *
Antiatherosclerotic 2 Duke, 1992 *
Antibacillary 1 Duke, 1992 *
Antibacterial 23 Revista Itiliana Eppos, 12: 5, 1994.
Antibronchitic 3 Jeffery B. Harborne and H. Baxter, eds. 1983. Phytochemical Dictionary. A Handbook of Bioactive Compounds from Plants. Taylor & Frost, London. 791 pp.
Anticancer 4 Duke, 1992 *
Anticancer (Pancreas) 2 Duke, 1992 *
Anticarcinomic (Colon) 1 Duke, 1992 *
Anticarcinomic (Lung) 1 Duke, 1992 *
Anticariogenic 5 Muroi, H. and Kubo, I. 1993. Combination Effects of Antibacterial Compounds in Green Tea Flavor against Streptococcus mutans. J. Agric. Food Chem. 41: 1102-1105.
Anticatarrh 1 Martindale's 29th
Anticholinesterase 2 Duke, 1992 *
Anticholinesterase? 1 L. Gracza (1985) as cited by Buchbauer re antiacetylcholinesterase.
Anticonvulsant 2 Jeffery B. Harborne and H. Baxter, eds. 1983. Phytochemical Dictionary. A Handbook of Bioactive Compounds from Plants. Taylor & Frost, London. 791 pp.