Oregano EO

Latin name :

Origanum vulgare

Botanical profile :

Oregano is a herbal plant from the Lamiaceae family (as Red Thyme EO and Marjoram EO) and of the genus Origanum.

Geographic origin :

Oregano is cultivated in the high regions of the Balkans as Greece and Slovenia, in islands as Crete, but also in Turkey (largest producer), Mexico (second largest), in Italy, Germany, Spain and Morocco for example.

Chemotypes :

The genus oreganum is very largue, as it designates lots of species, belonging to various subgroups :
Origanum :
Origanum compactum : Oregano with compact inflorescence, found in Morocco and in the South-West of Spain, gives an oil rich in Carvacrol, Thymol, or both.
Origanum glaucum : Glaucous oregano of Afghanistan, containing Carvacrol and a small part of Thymol.
Origanum floribundum : Flower-bearing oregano, containing Carvacrol and a small part of Thymol.
Origanum vulgare : Common oregano - Oregano EO, to which belong two major species : var. macrostachyum (from Crete, a Carvacrol and Thymol chemotype) and var. virescens (containing Carvacrol and Terpineol or Thymol alone or Beta-Terpineol). Many sub-varieties also exist, but we are not explaining them in details here.
Majorana :
Origanum syriacum : Syrian Oregano (A thymol and a Carvacrol chemotype)
Origanum dubium
Origanum majoricum : Italian Oregano
Origanum majorana : Including Marjoram EO (Thujanols or Terpinen-4-ol chemotype)
Amaracus :
Origanum dictamnus : (rich in pulegone)

Extraction process :

Oregano is a group of leafy stems, with hairy leaves. Flowering occurs between june and august. The yield out of the obtention of the essential oil is always better during the hot flowering season, rather than the cold winter, even if oregano is a perennial plant. Its growth is majorly wild, but can also be controlled after 3 or 4 month of growth, under greenhouse. Propagation is done by sowing (during spring) or cutting, depending on the regions of culture, and the plant is cultivated once or twice a year. Plants are spaced-apart from at least 10 cm. One plantation can reach up to 63 000 plants per hectare. Soil can be treated with ammonium phosphate to enhance the harvesting yield.
Cutting of the plant starts when half of the plants have flowered, during warm season. Cutting is done manually, for about 1260 cumulated hours per hectare (labour supply represents the major part of the price of oregano). After harvesting, stems are dried in the shade for a few hours, to reach 7 to 12% of humidity. Leaves can also be frozen to extract them later.
Once dry, stems are compacted in a steam distillation tank. Under pressure, steam is injected in the tank and takes volatile compounds to the top of the distillation column. In one hour and a half, essential oil is obtained by decanting after being liquefied with a 0,08% yield, which is very low. This can explain the low usage of oregano in perfumes and its price.

Major Components :

Carvacrol (70-90%)
Thymol (2-10%)
Gamma-Terpinene (1-7%)
Para-Cymene (1-5%)
Beta-Caryophyllene (1-5%)