A comparative study of the essential oils of the original Mexican oregano Lippia graveolens HBK (Verbenaceae) with the two most widely commercialized substitutes, namely, Monarda austromontana Epling (Lamiaceae) and Poliomintha longiflora Gray (Lamiaceae) using GC and GC-MS (EI) as analytical methods[1], revealed different
fingerprints. While the oil of L. graveolens possesses the highest content of carvacrol (34.0%) and thymol (7.0%), M. austromontana possesses anisole (12.6%) and 2-carene (13.6%) as the major components. On the other
hand, the oil of P. longiflora contains important amounts of thymol acetate (10.3%) and o-cymene (20.2%). The antimicrobial properties of the species were screened against
five bacteria selected for their health significance. The results indicated that the
three species display similar antibacterial activity. In conclusion, the results of
this investigation will be useful for quality control of these species used indifferently
as condiment and as carminative agents.
Acknowledgements: CONACyT (grant C01–018)
References: 1. Adams, R. (1989) Identification of Essential Oils by Ion Trap Mass
Spectroscopy, USA.
