Abstract
Mentha spp. are used in the food and pharmaceutical industry; the plants are characterized by natural interspecies hybridization. In this study, knowledge of the chemical composition of Mentha spp. was broadened by focusing on plants grown in a geographically small region of Estonia. The antibacterial activity of Mentha spp. essential oils and water extracts was evaluated. Polyphenolic water extracts of M. × villosa Huds., M. × suaveolens Ehrh., and M. × gracilis Sole were tested for the first time on Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. Leaves of cultivated and wild-grown plants ( n = 33) were collected. The microdistilled essential oil composition reflected the diversity within the genus Mentha. Determined by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (MS), major compounds were cis-piperitone oxide, carvone, linalool, menthol, and menthofuran. Based on high-performance liquid chromatography-ultraviolet-MS/MS analyses of the water extracts, no species-specific polyphenolic compounds could be proposed. Abundant polyphenols were rosmarinic acid, salvianolic acid B, and eriocitrin. Essential oils exhibited antibacterial activity on E. coli and S. aureus by the broth dilution method. Water extracts showed activity only against S. aureus. This study supports the use of Mentha spp. as health-promoting ingredients in food. However, further studies are still needed to widen the knowledge of the chemical composition of these plants.
Highlights
Mentha spp. are used in the food and pharmaceutical industry; the plants are characterized by natural interspecies hybridization
The present study aims to give information on the essential oil and polyphenolic composition of Mentha spp. collected in Estonia
The total content of essential oils isolated from Mentha spp. varied in the range of 0.1%-1.9% (Table 1; Supplemental Table S1)
Summary
Mentha spp. are used in the food and pharmaceutical industry; the plants are characterized by natural interspecies hybridization. Knowledge of the chemical composition of Mentha spp. was broadened by focusing on plants grown in a geographically small region of Estonia. The antibacterial activity of Mentha spp. essential oils and water extracts was evaluated. The microdistilled essential oil composition reflected the diversity within the genus Mentha. Based on high-performance liquid chromatography- ultraviolet-M S/MS analyses of the water extracts, no species-specific polyphenolic compounds could be proposed. Essential oils exhibited antibacterial activity on E. coli and S. aureus by the broth dilution method. (mints) is evident from the fact that their essential oils and dried and fresh plant material are in daily use in confectionary, beverages, bakery, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and pesticides.[1]. North America, during the year 2004, 3318 tons of M. × piperita and 346 tons of M. spicata were produced.[4]
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