Composition and antimicrobial activity of the essential oils of two Origanum species

The essential oils obtained from the aerial parts of Origanum scabrum and O rigaum microphyllum, both endemic species in Greece, were analyzed by means of GC and GC-MS. Forty-eight constituents were identified, representing 98 .59 and 98.66% of the oils, respectively. Carvacrol, terpinen-4-ol, linaloo l, sabinene, alpha -terpinene, and gamma -terpinene were found as the major components. Furthermore, both samples exhibited a very interesting antimic robial profile after they were tested against six Gram-negative and -positi ve bacteria and three pathogenic fungi.