Document 6467052
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Document 6467052
IJPRD, 2013; Vol 5(06): August-2013 (073 – 080) International Standard Serial Number 0974 – 9446 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------OVERVIEW OF MINT (MENTHA L.) AS A PROMISING HEALTH-PROMOTING HERB Snigdha Chawla1*, Monika Thakur2 1 2 School of Biotechnology, Gautam Buddha University, Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh-201308, India Amity Institute of Food Technology, Amity University, Sector-125, Noida, Uttar Pradesh-201303, India ABSTRACT Aromatic herbs have been used as flavour enhancers and seasonings throughout the world for thousands of years. Many herbs have been recognized to have medicinal properties and have many beneficial effects on health. Mint is one such herb, belonging to family Lamiaceae, which is not only used for aroma and flavour, but also has many potential health benefits. Mint leaves are used for culinary and medicinal purposes. Mint contains many active compounds like pmenthane and menthol, which are primarily responsible for flavour and aroma. Mint has been reported to have several pharmacological effects such as antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, antispasmodic, antitussive, anti-cancer and analgesic. This review provides information on culinary and medicinal properties of Mentha, which will prove useful in further investigating this under-utilized herb. Keywords:- Mentha L., nutraceutical antispasmodic, Irritable Bowel Syndrome potential, INTRODUCTION Mint (Mentha) is a genus of flowering plants in the mint family Lamiaceae [1]. The taxonomy of the genus Mentha has been in a state of flux, with more than 3000 names published since 1753. On the basis of phylogenetic analysis of morphology, chromosome numbers, and major essential oil constituents, the genus Mentha is redefined to include 18 species and 11 named hybrids, placed in four sections [2]. Mentha is presently classified within the tribe Mentheae, and hybridization between some of the species occurs naturally. The species are not clearly distinct [3]. Many other hybrids as well as numerous cultivars are known in Correspondence Author SNIGDHA CHAWLA School of Biotechnology, Gautam Buddha University, Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh-201308, India Email: chawla_snigdha@yahoo.com antibacterial, cultivation. The genus includes perennial and annual herbs from Europe, Asia and Africa [4]. Some of the common varieties are the Apple Mint (Mentha suaveolens), Curly Mint (M. spicata var. crispii), Pennyroyal (M. pulegium), Peppermint (M. piperita), Pineapple Mint (M. suaveolens ‘Variegata’), Spearmint (M. spicata) and Water mint (M. aquatica). Peppermint was discovered in seventeenth century in England as a wild plant and was mainly used as a medicinal infusion and from here it spread to other countries [5]. Spearmint was the symbol of hospitality in traditional Europe, where it was crushed and used in baths and other leisure places. Available online on www.ijprd.com 73 International Journal of Pharmaceutical Research & Development It was called “Herba Santa Maria” in Italy and “Our Lady’s Mint” in France. The Greeks used it as aphrodisiac, while the Romans used its aroma as an appetite stimulant [5]. BIOLOGY OF MENTHA Mentha species differ somewhat in form and habit of growth, but share many common characteristics. The majority are perennial herbs, forming vertical stems and horizontal rhizomes. The rate of growth tends to be rapid. They have wide-spreading underground and over-ground stolons [6]. The ISSN: 0974 – 9446 stems are erect, squared and branched. The leaves are arranged in opposite pairs, from oblong to lanceolate, often downy, and with a serrate margin (Fig. 1a). Leaf colour ranges from dark green and grey-green to purple, blue and sometimes pale yellow. Flowers are white to purple, tubular and produced in false whorls called verticillasters (Fig. 1b). The corolla is two-lipped with four sub-equal lobes. Fruit is a small, dry capsule containing one to four seeds. Mints are highly aromatic, with a pleasant, sweet, cooling flavour [7]. Fig. 1a: Leaves of Mentha Fig. 1b: Inflorescence in Mentha Most Mentha plants grow best in wet extending their reach along surfaces through a environments and moist soils. Most species are not network of runners. Due to their tendency to picky as to soil type and can withstand more spread unchecked, mints are considered invasive dampness than other herbs. Mints have limited [8]. The most common and popular mints for drought tolerance and require regular irrigation [7]. cultivation are of basic three types: peppermint, They are fast growing, standing 10 –120 cm tall. spearmint and apple mint. The scientific They can spread over an indeterminate area, classification of Mentha L. is given in Table 1. Table 1: Scientific classification of Mentha Kingdom Plantae Subkingdom Tracheobionta (Vascular plants) Superdivision Spermatophyta (Seed plants) Division Magnoliophyta (Flowering plants) Class Magnoliopsida (Dicotyledons) Subclass Asteridae Order Lamiales Family Lamiaceae (Mint family) Genus Mentha L. Available online on www.ijprd.com 74 International Journal of Pharmaceutical Research & Development ISSN: 0974 – 9446 CHEMICAL COMPOSITION I. Peppermint (Mentha piperita L.) Mints contain minerals like calcium, potassium, Peppermint is a natural hybrid of M. aquatica L. sodium, magnesium, phosphorus and iron, as well and M. spicata L. The plant is called peppermint as vitamin A, C, K, folic acid, thiamine, riboflavin as it resembles spearmint and has a pepper-like and niacin [5]. Some typical secondary metabolites taste. Peppermint contains about 0.5-5% of Lamiaceae include various terpenoids and essential oil that is pale yellow. The volatile oil phenolic compounds [9]. The chemical composition mainly contains menthol and menthone. The of peppermint oil is very complicated and has been composition of peppermint essential oil is given the subject of numerous studies. Over 200 in Table 2. Menthol and menthyl acetate are different constituents have been identified in responsible for the pungent and refreshing peppermint oil [10, 11, 12]. The chemical odour; they are mostly found in older leaves composition of different types of mints is given and are preferentially formed during long below: daylight periods. Table 2: Chemical composition of peppermint essential oil [5] CONSTITUENTS PERCENTAGE COMPOSITION Menthol 26-46 Menthone 16-36 Menthyl acetate 3.8-7 Menthofurane 2-8 Isomenthone 2-8 Limonene 2.5 Pulegone 1.4-4 β-pinene 1.5-2 peppermint’s essential oil and is mainly used for II. Spearmint (Mentha spicata) cooking. Spearmint has 0.5% essential oil, containing 501) Culinary 70% carvone and dihydrocarvone, including I. Mint leaves: The leaves have a warm, fresh, dihydrocuminyl acetate, dihydrocuminyl valerate, phellandrene, limonene, menthone, aromatic, sweet flavour with a cool aftertaste. menthol, and 1,8-cineol [5]. Mint leaves, fresh or dried, are used in teas, III. Corn mint (Mentha arvensis) beverages, syrups, candies and ice creams. Corn mint has about 1-2% oil containing 28Alcoholic drinks sometimes feature mint for 34% menthol, 16-31% menthone, 6-13% flavour and garnish. Leaves are used in isomenthone, 5-10% limonene, and a higher preparation of chutneys and also to garnish content of α- and β-pinenes [5]. cooked dishes. USES OF MINT II. Essential oil: Mint essential oil and menthol are extensively used as flavourings in breath Traditionally, mint is used for both culinary as well as medicinal purposes. Peppermint is known for its fresheners, drinks, antiseptic mouth rinses, toothpaste, chewing gum, desserts and essential oil that can be extracted from the plant and used for medicinal and culinary purposes. candies. The substances that give the mints When placed on the tongue, it produces a hot, their characteristic aromas and flavours are tingly sensation, which fades into a cooling feel. menthol and pulegone. The compound The cooling is due to the menthol which is the primarily responsible for the aroma and flavour major component of the oil. Essential oil can also of spearmint is R-carvone [13]. be extracted from spearmint. It is less potent than Available online on www.ijprd.com 75 International Journal of Pharmaceutical Research & Development 2) Therapeutic: Stomach ailments: Mint was originally used I. as a medicinal herb to treat stomach ache and chest pains. The decoction is used to alleviate stomach pain. Traditionally, peppermint essential oil has been used to treat indigestion, irritable bowel syndrome and spasms. II. Mouth and throat hygiene: During middle ages, powdered mint leaves were used to whiten teeth. Mint is used to cure bad breath, gingivitis and as a mouth and throat antiseptic. III. Respiratory ailments: The strong, sharp flavour and scent of mint is sometimes used as a mild decongestant for illnesses such as common cold. It is also used to treat infections of respiratory tract as well as bronchitis. IV. Skin diseases: Mint is used for the treatment of acne, burns, and other skin disorders due to its soothing effect. V. Miscellaneous uses: Peppermint oil relaxes muscles and has antiviral and bactericidal action. It is an analgesic, counter-irritant and carminative. Mint tea is a strong diuretic. NUTRACEUTICAL POTENTIAL OF MINT In recent years, there has been a growing interest in the nutraceutical potential of various plants which provide health benefits other than their nutritional benefits. Mint is one of the herbs having immense potential as summarized below: 1. Antibacterial activity Traditionally, plants and their isolated extracts, including Mentha species, have been used to extend shelf life of foods and beverages, and they also have a plant protection function through their antimicrobial and antioxidant properties [2]. Researchers investigated antibacterial activities of peppermint oil and its constituents and reported that greatest inhibition was caused by compounds neomenthol and carvacrol [14]. The impact of corn mint, peppermint, and spearmint on the growth of Escherichia coli O157:H7, Salmonella enteritidis, antibiotic-resistant and sensitive Available online on www.ijprd.com ISSN: 0974 – 9446 strains of Helicobacter pylori as well as methicillin-resistant and sensitive S. aureus was examined and researchers reported that the extracts were bactericidal against all test organisms and L-limonene, myrcene as well as L-carvone were the main cause of activity against H. pylori [15]. Singh and others reported that peppermint was more active against Grampositive microorganisms, while spearmint, overall, was more active against Gram-negative bacteria [16]. In general, essential oils cause damage to biological membranes due to their lipophilic properties; however, specific functional groups are also effective. Hence, the presence of menthol (an alcohol) and menthone (a ketone) resulted in reduction of the relative respiratory activities as well as relative antibacterial activity of whole cells of the Gram-negative bacterium Rhodopseudomonas sphaeroides [17]. 2. Antifungal activity Mint extracts also demonstrate antifungal activity. Peppermint oil was found to be effective at inhibiting the growth of pathogenic fungi Pythium sp. and Fusarium sulphureum. In greenhouse experiments, peppermint oil (at concentrations 0.5 and 1.0%) proved efficient at limiting the spread of cucumber damping off [18]. The activity of peppermint oil against a number of food spoilage yeasts, Geotrichum candidum, Metchnikowia pulcherima, Rhodotorula rubra, and Torulopsis glabrata was demonstrated by Conner and Beuchat [19]. Corn mint oil was used in a series of experiments to demonstrate its antifungal and antimycotic properties [20]. Human dermatophytic fungi have been shown to be susceptible to mint essential oils [21, 22]. The antifungal effect of corn mint, also known as Japanese mint, against human pathogens Candia albicans, Cryptococcus neoformans, Microsporum gypseum, Trichophyton rubrum, and Sporothrix schenckii was established by Rath et al. [23]. The oil of pennyroyal also has antifungal effects [22, 24, 25]. 76 International Journal of Pharmaceutical Research & Development 3. Antiviral activity Ismail [26] reported antiviral activity of peppermint oil, both in vivo and in vitro, against potato virus Y at concentrations between 500 and 2000 ppm. Herrmann and Kucera [27] studied various plants of mint family for antiviral activity and found that peppermint extract had antiviral activity against Newcastle disease (NDV), herpes simplex, vaccinia, Semliki Forest, and West Nile viruses in egg and cell culture systems. 4. Antihelminthic activity A hexane extract of mint leaves also demonstrated antihelminthic effects [28]. 5. Anti-inflammatory effect Juergens et al. [29] showed anti-inflammatory effects of L-menthol on human monocytes. Lmenthol is useful in treatment of chronic inflammatory disorders such as bronchial asthma, colitis and allergic rhinitis. 6. Antispasmodic effect Peppermint oil, at concentrations 0.5 and 1 mg/ml, inhibited enterocyte glucose uptake. It relaxes gastrointestinal smooth muscle by reducing calcium influx [2]. Leicester and Hunt [30] reported that the administration of peppermint oil during colonoscopy relieved colon spasm within 30 seconds. 7. Treatment of Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) Enteric-coated capsules of peppermint oil are used to treat IBS and spastic colon. Beesley et al. [31] studied the influence of peppermint oil on absorptive and secretory processes in rat small intestine. 8. Vasodilation Menthol and peppermint demonstrated calcium channel blocking properties in rat and guinea pig atrial and papillary muscle [32]. In rabbits, topical application of menthol led to vasodilation of blood vessels in the ear [33]. 9. Improvement in nasal breathing Although menthol is widely used in medications to relieve common cold and flu symptoms such as nasal congestion and cough, it has been shown that nasal congestion is not objectively decreased by menthol, but there is a subjective Available online on www.ijprd.com ISSN: 0974 – 9446 improvement in sensation of easier breathing [34]. This is thought to be due to menthol’s stimulation of cold receptors served by the trigeminal nerve in the nose, the vapour action on the sensory nerve endings of the nasal mucosa, and stimulation of the major palatine nerve [34, 35, 36]. 10. Anti-tussive effect Menthol vapour is a significant anti-tussive [37, 38]. Laude et al. [37] showed that menthol vapour significantly decreased cough in a dosedependent manner in guinea pigs. 11. Biliary disorders Menthol and related terpenes exert a choleretic effect [39, 40, 41]. It may aid in gall stone dissolution [41, 42]. 12. Analgesic effect A combination of peppermint oil and ethanol has a significant analgesic effect with a reduction in sensitivity to headache [43]. 13. Anti-carcinogenic A chloroform extract of M. spicata is anticarcinogenic and anti-teratogenic [28, 44, 45]. ADULTERATION Prior to 1960, peppermint oil was reported to be adulterated with various oils as: camphor oil, cedar wood oil, copaiba balsam oil, eucalyptus oil, sandalwood oil, castor oil, mineral oil, paraffin oil, kerosene, anethole, methyl alcohol, α-terpineol, triacetin, benzoate esters, and phthalate esters [46]. With the advent of chromatographic techniques, the addition of synthetic compounds unrelated to oil composition has ceased. The use of de-mentholized oil (DMO) as a replacement for peppermint oil was noted as early as 1913 [2]. Straus and Wolstromer [47] examined adulteration of peppermint oil with corn mint oil. In India, adulteration of mint oils by field distillers has been observed occasionally. Sometimes cottonseed oil is used for this purpose. The oil is sometimes dementholized [48]. TOXICITY All herbal products have the potential for contamination with other herbal products, 77 International Journal of Pharmaceutical Research & Development pesticides, herbicides, heavy metals, pharmaceuticals formulations, etc. The toxicity studies of peppermint have received controversial results. Some authors have quoted allergic reactions to peppermint [49]. Peppermint oil is toxic in large doses. Potentially toxic components in mint are menthol and pulegone. Menthol is the largest and most important component of peppermint and corn mint oil. RIFM and the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives has reviewed the available data on toxicity of menthol and its isomers and concluded that they were not genotoxic, teratogenic, or carcinogenic [50]. FEMA has assessed the use of menthol as a flavour ingredient and reported that menthol isomers exhibit very low acute, sub-chronic and chronic toxicity [51]. Most of the infrequent adverse effects reported for Menthol are irritation to lips, mouth, and mucous membrane as well as skin sensitization [2]. Pulegone is a hepatotoxic monoterpene that occurs in pennyroyal oil and peppermint oil (in small amount). The Committee of Experts on Flavouring Substances of the Council of Europe set a tolerated daily intake (TDI) for pulegone at 0.1 mg/kg/body weight. Bakerink et al. [52] reported cases of two infants who ingested mint tea believed to contain pennyroyal. In one infant, it resulted in death with liver failure and cerebral edema. Anderson et al. [53] found 18 reported cases of adverse effects from the consumption of pennyroyal, all in females. Consumption of 10 ml of pennyroyal oil has been associated with gastritis and mild CNS toxicity. Consumption of 5 ml oil has been associated with coma and seizures [2]. CONCLUSION As consumers are becoming health conscious day by day, the trend is shifting towards the consumption of nutraceuticals and functional foods that not only provide nutrients but also have health importance. Thus, use of herbal plants like Mint is gaining momentum. Traditionally, Mints have been used for flavour, fragrance and indigenous health benefits. Incorporation of mint in the diet will provide several health benefits. This review Available online on www.ijprd.com ISSN: 0974 – 9446 provides information on the culinary and medicinal uses of mint as well as supports the potential of mint as a promising health-promoting herb. 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