Review on Methods Used to Determine Antioxidant Activity of Origanum majorana

Background: The presence of free radicals in the human body is harmful, which may induce many diseases like cardiovascular, diabetes, cancer, inflammation, neurodegenerative disorder, atherosclerosis, cataract, etc. Antioxidants can balance the effect of free radicals. Antioxidant- rich herbs have been identified for the preparation of drugs that can be administered to neutralize the free radicals. In the present context, the selected medicinal plant is “Origanum majorana” (Family- Lamiaceae) widely known as Marwa in the Indian sub-continent. As the medical professionals show their desire towards composite or lateral treatment, the application of drugs with herbal origin has gained its importance. Objective: This review presents various in vitro and in vivo methods used in the antioxidant activity study of O. majorana and highlights its efficacy in reducing the oxidative stress. Methods: Many reliable sources like Research gate, PubMed, Science Direct, Google scholar, Wiley online library, and books have been referred to collect all information regarding the antioxidant activity of the selected plant. Results: Several methods have been used to determine the antioxidant activity of O. majorana, such as superoxide radical scavenging, ferric ion reducing antioxidant potency, thiobarbituric acid reactive substances, hydrogen peroxide scavenging, hydroxyl radical scavenging, lipid peroxidation inhibition, etc. The selected plant contains many phytoconstituents such as gallic acid, ferulic acid, apigenin, catechin, rutin, quercetin, luteolin, linolenic acid, β-sitosterol, and essential oils, which may be responsible for antioxidant activity. Conclusion: The review article provides information for investigating and developing new antioxidant methods and major phytoconstituents from O. majorana for better therapy of oxidative stress-mediated complications.