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Introduction
Due to the increasing public demand for healthy food and quality, government agencies from various countries are led to adopt increasingly effective legislative measures regarding food safety. Consequently, there is a broad research interest in the search for alternatives to chemical additives for rational use as food preservatives (Ivanovic et al. , 2012). The growing interest in the use of spices, evidenced in several studies, shows how mainstream is the consumption of food in its most natural form (Viuda-Martos et al. , 2010; Cattelan et al. , 2013), generated by an incessant questioning about the safety of using chemical additives and reduced levels of salt in food for dietary reasons, which tends to increase the use of other flavourings (WHO, 2002; Burt, 2004).
Essential oil and natural extracts are used to extend the shelf life and improve lipid stability of foods (Mohamed and Mansour, 2012). In addition, some plants, their extracts, oils and/or active ingredients have well-documented antibacterial activity (Özcan and Erkmen, 2001; Ushimaru et al. , 2007; Yossa et al. , 2010; Castilho et al. , 2012; Cattelan et al. , 2013). Among the ones with known antibacterial and antioxidant action, phenolic compounds can be highlighted. According to Bonfanti et al. (2012), the genus Origanum is widespread in the Mediterranean area, with the use of oregano as seasoning. Among 70 varieties of spice, Origanum vulgare L. is highlighted, being used as a seasoning by the industry, in the production of spirits and in the pharmacological field. There are reports of utilization of oregano essential oil (OEO) as a dietary supplement to fight infections and to relieve for digestive and skin-related problems (Cho et al. , 2012). The four major components of OEO in percentage of content are the phenolic compounds carvacrol and thymol, and [rho]-cymene and terpinene (Goulas and Kontominas, 2007), monoterpenes hydrocarbons. Carvacrol is usually reported as the major component of the OEO. It is a hydrophobic phenolic compound, with well-documented antimicrobial activity against bacteria, fungi and yeasts (Burt, 2004; Guarda et al. , 2011), and antioxidant activity (Baser, 2008), showing a high potential to promote the extension of the shelf life and safety of food products (Rubilar et al. , 2013).
Due to the intense aroma of oregano, one option is...