Applications of Oregano Essential Oil (Origanum Vulgare L.) in Public Health Pests Management: A Narrative Review

Abstract

Introduction and purpose: Oregano (Origanum vulgare L.) is an aromatic plant belonging to the Lamiaceae family. The aerial parts of this medicinal herb, including leaves, flowers, stems, and fruits, are used to extract essential oils. The current narrative review aimed to discuss and investigate the repellent efficacy of oregano essential oil in public health pests management. Methods: In the current study, the search was conducted on PubMed, Web of Science, Science Direct, Scopus, and Google Scholar databases using the following keywords: "Oregano essential oil", "Public health pests", and "Repellency". Accordingly, seven articles were extracted and studied, and their results were extracted. Results: The chemical compositions of the Oregano essential oil varies according to its place of growth and its varieties. However, carvacrol and thymol have been introduced as the most important compounds of this plantchr('39')s essential oil. Oregano essential oil has repellent efficacy against public health pests, including bed bugs, head lice, and brown-banded cockroach, and also against vectors of infectious diseases, such as Aedes albopictus, Culex pipiens, and Amblyomma americanum. Conclusion: Due to the fact that the essential oils of plants, such as Oregano, have fewer side effects on humans and the environment and are convenient and cost-efficient to be prepared, they can be considered relatively proper alternatives for synthetic chemicals to control vectors of infectious diseases and public health pests.

Keywords

• oregano
• public health pests
• repellency