The chemical composition of marjoram essential oil (Origanum majorana L.) was determined by GC/FID and GC/MS. As major compounds of the oil terpinen-4-ol (21.3%), trans-sabinene hydrate (15.5%), γ-terpinene (14.0%), and α-terpinene (8.9%) were identified. The odour profile and evaluation of marjoram essential oil was established.
Marjoram oil has antiradical activity with regard to DPPH, exceeding that of the phenolic component thymol. The oil exhibited scavenging effect on the hydroxyl radicals (OH•), as well, which substantially exceeded that towards the DPPH radical - the respective concentrations for 50% inhibition of the radicals (IC50) were 0.11μg/mL for OH• and 341.0μg/mL for DPPH.
Marjoram essential oil was capable of antioxidant activity in a linoleic acid emulsion model system, where at concentration of 0.05% it inhibited conjugated dienes formation by 50.00% and the generation of linoleic acid secondary oxidized products by 79.85%.
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