Oregano essential oil as an inhibitor of higher fatty acid oxidation

Inhibition of the oxidation of fatty acids methyl esters by oregano essential oil was studied using capillary gas chromatography. A mixture of fatty acids which contained saturated, mono-, di-, and polyunsaturated acids with 16–24 carbon atoms was extracted from mice brain. Changes in the composition of esters in hexane solutions both in the presence of oregano essential oil and without it were examined during their autooxidation in light for 1 year. It was found that the oxidation rate of unsaturated fatty acids increases with increasing degree of their unsaturation. Oregano essential oil inhibited the oxidation process. Antioxidant activity of the oil increased with increase of its concentration. It was shown that carvacrol and thymol are the main antioxidant components of oregano oil.