Chemical composition, olfactory evaluation and antioxidant effects of the essential oil of Origanum majorana L. from Albania

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%), gamma-terpinene (14.0%), and alpha-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 center dot), as well, which substantially exceeded that towards the DPPH radical - the respective concentrations for 50% inhibition of the radicals (IC50) were 0.11 mu g/mL for OH center dot and 34 1.0 mu g/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%.