Unraveling the Potential of Organic Oregano and Tarragon Essential Oils: Profiling Composition, FT-IR and Bioactivities
Dan Vârban,
Marius Zăhan,
Ioana Crișan,
Carmen Rodica Pop,
Emese Gál,
Răzvan Ștefan,
Ancuța Mihaela Rotar,
Adriana Sebastiana Muscă,
Ștefania Dana Meseșan,
Vasile Horga,
Ioan Ladoși,
Loredana Olar,
Andrei Stoie,
Rodica Vârban
Affiliations
Dan Vârban
Department of Crop Science, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Cluj-Napoca, Calea Mănăștur Street No. 3–5, 400372 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
Marius Zăhan
Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Animal Science and Biotechnology, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Cluj-Napoca, Calea Mănăștur Street No. 3–5, 400372 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
Ioana Crișan
Department of Crop Science, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Cluj-Napoca, Calea Mănăștur Street No. 3–5, 400372 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
Carmen Rodica Pop
Department of Food Science, Faculty of Food Science and Technology, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Cluj-Napoca, Calea Florești No. 64, 400509 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
Emese Gál
Department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hungarian Line, Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Babeș-Bolyai University, Arany János No. 11, 400028 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
Răzvan Ștefan
Department of Preclinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Cluj-Napoca, Calea Mănăștur Street No. 3–5, 400372 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
Ancuța Mihaela Rotar
Department of Food Science, Faculty of Food Science and Technology, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Cluj-Napoca, Calea Florești No. 64, 400509 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
Adriana Sebastiana Muscă
Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Animal Science and Biotechnology, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Cluj-Napoca, Calea Mănăștur Street No. 3–5, 400372 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
Ștefania Dana Meseșan
Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Animal Science and Biotechnology, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Cluj-Napoca, Calea Mănăștur Street No. 3–5, 400372 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
Vasile Horga
Department of Crop Science, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Cluj-Napoca, Calea Mănăștur Street No. 3–5, 400372 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
Ioan Ladoși
Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Animal Science and Biotechnology, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Cluj-Napoca, Calea Mănăștur Street No. 3–5, 400372 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
Loredana Olar
Department of Preclinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Cluj-Napoca, Calea Mănăștur Street No. 3–5, 400372 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
Andrei Stoie
Department of Crop Science, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Cluj-Napoca, Calea Mănăștur Street No. 3–5, 400372 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
Rodica Vârban
Department of Crop Science, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Cluj-Napoca, Calea Mănăștur Street No. 3–5, 400372 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
Oregano and tarragon are widely cultivated culinary herbs used for food seasoning, having familiar characteristic aromas appreciated by the wide public. The aim of this research was to characterize essential oils (EOs) from locally sourced organic oregano and tarragon (Cluj, Romania) and study their bioactivity potential. Results showed that oregano EO had a sesquiterpene dominant profile responsible for strong bands between 2800 and 3000 cm−1 on the Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) spectrum and a composition consistent with reports from similar climatic regions. The tarragon EO profile was defined by phenylpropanoids responsible for the strong sharp peaks between 1000 and 1600 cm−1 on the FT-IR spectrum. In oregano EO, 22 compounds were identified with β-caryophyllene as a major constituent. In tarragon EO, 20 compounds were identified with eugenol as a major constituent. Oregano EO had a stronger antibacterial effect against both Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacterial strains, while tarragon EO had a slightly stronger cytotoxic effect on three types of cancer cell lines tested (skin melanoma, prostate carcinoma, and colorectal adenocarcinoma). It was concluded that, given the fact that a sufficient supply of high-quality plant material can be available for EO extraction, culinary herbs can become reliable candidates for many industries without the risk of discontinued supply. Therefore, research aiming to widen their potential applications is welcome and worth pursuing.
