Abstract
This review article discusses the active constituents and potential of two menthol mint oils, Mentha piperita (MPEO) and Mentha arvensis (MAEO), as natural sources for botanical pesticides. The biological activities of these menthol mint oils, which can be useful in agriculture, have been broadly researched, especially toward phytotoxic microorganisms. To a lesser extent, the insecticidal and herbicidal activities of mint EOs have also been studied. It is apparent that the prospect of using menthol mint oils in agriculture is increasing in popularity. A number of investigations showed that the in vitro efficacy of MPEO and MAEO, as well as that of their main constituent, menthol, is pronounced. The results of in vitro research are useful for choosing EOs for further investigations. However, it is clear that in situ experiments are crucial and should be more extensively developed. At the same time, known techniques are to be applied to this area and new methods should be worked out, aiming at the improvement of EOs’ pesticidal efficacy and cost-effectiveness, for future implementation in agricultural pest control.
Highlights
The genus mint (Mentha) belongs to the Lamiaceae family and includes 42 species, 15 hybrids, and hundreds of subspecies, varieties, and cultivars [1], which potentially crossbreed when in proximity.Different mints are known for a reasonably high content of essential oils (EO), which are deposited in the glandular trichomes, mostly located on the adaxial surface of their leaves [2]
The authors concluded that MAEO exhibited the highest antifungal and antibacterial activity in both tested methods, while MPEO, M. longifolia, and M. spicata oils revealed a similar efficacy [39]
Carvone, and piperitenone oxide showed lower activity [39]. It seems that the higher antimicrobial effectiveness of MAEO as compared to MPEO could be attributed to a higher content of menthol, which is more active than menthone
Summary
The genus mint (Mentha) belongs to the Lamiaceae family and includes 42 species, 15 hybrids, and hundreds of subspecies, varieties, and cultivars [1], which potentially crossbreed when in proximity. There are two well-known, so-called menthol mints in cultivation: Mentha x piperita L. The menthol mints contain many biologically active compounds, with EOs being a significant part of them. The investigation of the menthol mints EOs as natural (aka botanical) pesticides is being carried out. Nowadays in agriculture there is a growing interest in botanical pesticides with the active ingredient composed of natural compounds, among them EOs [22,23]. This is due to two major factors. Increasing consumer awareness of the negative impact of synthetic pesticides on human health boosts the development of natural products with different biological activities. Based on the recent scientific literature, a critical review of the chemical composition of peppermint oil (Mentha piperita, MPEO) and cornmint oil (Mentha arvensis, MAEO), and their potential for being incorporated in future botanical pesticides, is presented below
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