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Origanum spp.: an update of their chemical and biological profiles

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Abstract

The purpose of this review is to provide an overview of most recent studies about potential pharmaceutical applications of plants belonging to Origanum genus. Oregano is one of the most famous and economically important culinary herbs in the world. The genus Origanum includes more than 70 species mainly distributed around the Mediterranean region. The vernacular name “oregano” is attributed to a vast number of species. O. vulgare L. is the most variable species of the genus and the most commonly known as oregano in most countries. Today, it is generally accepted that oregano is a characteristic flavour produced by a number of plant species that yield carvacrol-rich essential oils. The genus Origanum is characterised by a large morphological and chemical diversity. Because of their several biological activities, such as antimicrobial, expectorant, antispasmodic and carminative, Origanum species have been used in traditional medicine to treat various diseases. The botany and chemotaxonomy of the species are thoroughly reported, along with chemical constituents. The in vitro and in vivo effects of Origanum extracts are presented and discussed.

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Abbreviations

5RP7:

H-ras transformed rat embryonic fibroblasts

BHA:

Butylated hydroxyanisole

BHT:

Butylated hydroxytoluene

C6:

Rat brain tumour cell line

DPPH:

1,1-Diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazil radical

GLUT-2:

Glucose transporter-2

HEK293:

Human embryonic kidney cells 

HeLa:

Human cervix carcinoma cell line

HepG2:

Hepatocarcinoma cell line

HepG2:

Human liver cancer cell line

LoVo:

Colon carcinoma cell line

LPL:

Lipoprotein lipase

LPS:

Lipopolysaccharide

MCF:

Minimal fungicidal concentration

MiaPaca-2:

Human pancreas carcinoma cell line

MI:

Minimal inhibitory concentration

MID:

Minimum inhibitory dose

NO:

Nitric oxide

PG:

Propyl gallate

RAW 264.7:

Mouse macrophage cell line

ROS:

Reactive oxygen species

TBHQ:

tert-Butylhdroquinone

Vero:

African green monkey kidney epithelium cells

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  1. Department of Pharmacy, Health and Nutritional Sciences, University of Calabria, 87036, Rende, CS, Italy

    Mariangela Marrelli, Giancarlo A. Statti & Filomena Conforti

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  1. Mariangela Marrelli
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  2. Giancarlo A. Statti
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  3. Filomena Conforti
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Correspondence to Mariangela Marrelli.

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Marrelli, M., Statti, G.A. & Conforti, F. Origanum spp.: an update of their chemical and biological profiles. Phytochem Rev 17, 873–888 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11101-018-9566-0

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