Mentha Canadensis Research Articles

WILD-GROWING SPECIES OF MINT AS CARRIERS OF GENES OF RESISTANCE TO ADVERSE ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS

It is shown wild-growing types of mint can be carriers of genes of frost resistance and resistance to rust which is caused by a mushroom of Puccinia menthae Pers. The method of interspecific hybridization with use of the cultivated types - Mentha piperita and Mentha canadensis L., and also wild-growing types - Mentha aquatica L., Mentha spicata L. and Mentha longifolia (L.) Nathh is perspective for creation of steady grades. Sustainability donors to a rust - M. canadensis K60 (4p) and K6 M. aquatica which in a wide range of combinations provide resistance to a rust of bulk of hybrid posterity have been revealed. Interspecific hybridization at mint at the corresponding selection of parental couples is a valuable method of creation of highly productive hybrids, steady against a rust (Puccinia menthae Pers) that has been shown.. Monogenic nature of inheritance of an immunity to Puccinia menthae Pers is confirmed and the genotype of the parental forms M. canadensis, M.aquatica, M.spicata is determined by S gene, Existence of prepotent (S) or recessive alleles (s) in homozygous (SS, SSSS, ss) or a heterozygotic state (Ss, SSss) expressiveness of this sign in hybrid posterity of F1 defines. It is established that in F1 of interspecific hybrids from crossing of an allopolyploid form of a pepper mint with frost resistance plants of M. spicata it is frost resistance sign inherited generally on intermediate type, however to 30 % of plants comes nearer on this sign to the frost-resistant parent. It indicates possibility of receiving interspecific hybrids with increased frost resistance at the specified type of crossings. For creation of hybrids with the increased frost resistance use in interspecific hybridization of the frost-resistant forms M. spicata K42, K65, the S1 and S2 lines received from self-pollination of K65 (2.8.I4, 9.37.34), and also a polyploidy of M. canadensis of K60 is perspective. The gene pool of wild-growing types and forms of mint in which the genotypes possessing genes of resistance to rust and the lowered temperatures are presented is created.

What are the effects of aromatic plants and meteorological factors on Pseudococcus comstocki and its predators in pear orchards?

The interactions of major pests with their natural enemies in the environment of intercropped orchards have recently received much attention. In this study, eight aromatic plant species, namely Mentha canadensis L. (Lamiaceae), Tagetes patula L. (Asteraceae), Ocimum basilicum L. (Lamiaceae), Satureja hortensis L. (Lamiaceae), Agerarum houstonianum Mill (Asteraceae), Ocimum × citriodorum Vis. (Lamiaceae), Nepeta cataria L. (Lamiaceae) and Centaurea cyanus L. (Asteraceae), were used to evaluate the effects of intercropping with aromatic plants on Comstock mealybugs (Pseudococcus comstocki Kuwana) and their natural predators. The effects of meteorological factors on Comstock mealybug were also investigated. Compared with natural grass or clean tillage plots, intercropping with aromatic plants significantly reduced the abundance of Comstock mealybugs and increased that of their predators, thereby increasing the ratio of natural enemies to pests. In the intercropped plots, the individual number Comstock mealybugs was reduced by 22.71–76.76 %; the peak period for Comstock mealybugs was delayed by 10–20 days, and the peak period for their predators was advanced by 0–60 days. The presence of Comstock mealybugs was significantly positively correlated with precipitation in all plots and significantly negatively correlated with sunshine duration. In conclusion, intercropping with aromatic plants significantly reduced the individual number of Comstock mealybugs, especially intercropping with A. houstonianum. Furthermore, this effect was enhanced during the summer months with high precipitation levels and long periods of sunshine.

Diurnal Effects on Mentha canadensis Oil Concentration and Composition at Two Different Harvests

Japanese cornmint, also known as menthol mint (Mentha canadensis L. syn M. arvensis L.), is an essential oil crop cultivated in several countries in Asia and South America. The plant is currently the only commercially viable source for natural menthol as a result of the high concentration of menthol in the oil compared with other crops. The hypothesis of this study was that harvesting at regular intervals within a 24-hour period would have an effect on essential oil concentration and composition of Japanese cornmint grown at high altitude in northern Wyoming. Flowering plants were harvested every 2 hours on 7 to 8 Aug. and on 14 to 15 Aug. and the essential oil was extracted by steam distillation and analyzed by gas chromatography–mass spectroscopy (GC-MS). The effects of harvest date (Harvest 1 and Harvest 2) and harvest time (12 times within a 24-hour period) were significant on oil concentration and yield of menthol, but only harvest date was significant on the concentration of menthol in the oil. The interaction effect of harvest date and harvest time was significant on water content and on the concentrations of menthol and menthofuran in the oil and on the yield of limonene, menthol, and menthofuran. Overall, the oil concentration in grams per 100 g dried material for the two harvests (1.26 and 1.45, respectively), the concentration of menthol in the oil (67.2% and 72.9%, respectively), and menthol yield (1066 to 849 mg/100 g dried biomass) were higher in plants at Harvest 2 as compared with plants at Harvest 1. The oil concentration was higher in plants harvested at 1100 hr or at 1300 hr and lowest in the plants harvested at 1500 hr. Menthol yield was the highest in plants harvested at 1300 hr and lowest in the plants harvested at 0700 hr, 1900 hr, or at 0300 hr. This study demonstrated that harvesting time within a 24-hour period and harvest date (maturity of the crop) may affect essential oil concentration and composition of Japanese cornmint grown at high altitude in northern Wyoming.

Sex structure and seed productivity of Mentha canadensis L. from natural flora of Primorye of Russia

The sex structure and seed productivity of Mentha canadensis L. from different climatic regioins of Primorye of Russia was studied. We established that M. canadensis is characterized by a homogeneous population structure due to the formation of vegetative clones. The ratio of female and androgynous individuals was 1:5, and it is possible that this is a species-specific trait. Both sexual forms produced fruits under conditions of isolation from cross-pollination. We discuss the possibility of apomixis and the influence of climatic conditions on seed productivity and morphometric characteristics of plants.

田间不同植物上烟粉虱的种群密度

PDF HTML阅读 XML下载 导出引用 引用提醒 田间不同植物上烟粉虱种群密度 DOI: 10.5846/stxb201212191828 作者: 作者单位: 中国农业科学院植物保护研究所,中国农业科学院植物保护研究所,中国农业科学院植物保护研究所 作者简介: 通讯作者: 中图分类号: 基金项目: 国家自然科学基金重点项目（30930062）；国家重点研究发展计划（“973”计划）项目（2009CB119220） Population density of Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius) (Hemiptera：Aleyrodidae) on different plants in the field Author: Affiliation: State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests,Institute of Plant Protection,Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences,State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests,Institute of Plant Protection,Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences,State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests,Institute of Plant Protection,Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences Fund Project: 摘要 | 图/表 | 访问统计 | 参考文献 | 相似文献 | 引证文献 | 资源附件 | 文章评论 摘要:对廊坊地区田间81种植物上烟粉虱的发生情况进行了系统调查。结果表明，烟粉虱可为害其中44种植物，且在不同的寄主植物上烟粉虱的种群密度有显著差异；而玉米、高粱和小米等37种植物上无烟粉虱为害。烟粉虱在香水薄荷、荆芥、甘草、薄荷、藿香、益母草、猪屎豆、白晶菊、牛膝、待宵草、蓝蓟、紫花苜蓿、极香罗勒上的虫口密度最高，危害级别达到4级（每100 cm2叶片虫口密度大于50头）。在蜀葵、向日葵和烟草上每100 cm2叶片烟粉虱虫口密度较低，但单株虫口密度较高。鉴于向日葵、玉米、高粱在中国北方棉花产区广泛种植，玉米和高粱的植株高大，且烟粉虱为害对向日葵产量影响极小，可考虑选用向日葵作为田间诱集植物，玉米和高粱作为屏障植物辅助控制棉田烟粉虱。 Abstract:The whitefly, Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius) is a key agricultural pest in many regions of the world, and has been a destructive pest in China during the past two decades. B. tabaci is extremely polyphagous, feeding on hundreds of host plants, causing direct and indirect damage. Direct feeding by adults and nymphs induces physiological disorders in host plants, resulting in smaller production, shedding of leaves, and death in immature plants. The honeydew produced by the nymphs often causes stunting by promoting the growth of black sooty mold on leaves and reducing photosynthesis. However, the main damage is indirect: B. tabaci can transmit more than 100 plant viruses that damage many commercial plants. B.tabaci has distinct host plant preferences, and knowing these can serve as a basis for integrated pest management programs, especially because resistance to insecticides by B. tabaci is on the increase. Here we present the results of an exhaustive survey of host plants in Northern China. A systematic field survey was conducted on 81 plant species to investigate their suitability as host plants for B. tabaci at Langfang, Hebei Province. There were three plots for each plant, with a size of 16 m2 (4 m×4 m) for each plot, 243 plots were randomly arranged in total. Infection rate was characterised by the number of individuals per 100 cm2 leaf and number of individuals per whole leaves. A total of 37 species of the surveyed plants, including Zea mays L., Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench and Setaria italica (L.) Beauv. were not damaged by B.tabaci. Plant species belonging to the families Rosaceae, Nyctaginaceae, Caryophyllaceae, Linaceae, Cleomaceae, Euphorbiaceae, Rutaceae, Asclepiadaceae (surveyed one species in these families), Polygonaceae (surveyed two species), Cruciferae (surveyed four species), Poaceae (surveyed five species) were not damaged by B. tabaci. Forty-four of the investigated plant species were suitable hosts for B. tabaci. The plants from Lamiaceae, Leguminosae, Asteraceae, Convolvulaceae and Malvaceae supported the higher whitefly densities than the other plant families in our survey results. Most of the surveyed species in the Lamiaceae family were damaged, and on more than 60% of these plants, the infection rate reached grade 4 (> 50 individuals per 100 cm2 leaf). Whitefly densities on these host plants varied widely. The whitefly occurred mostly on Mentha arvensis L., Schizonepeta tenuifolia Briq, Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fisch, Mentha canadensis L., Leonurus japonicus Houtt, Crotalaria pallida Ait., Chrysanthemum paludosum Poir, Achyranthes bidentata Blume, Oenothera erythrosepala Borb., Echium vulgare L., Medicago sativa L. and Ocimum basilicum L.. The infection rate on these plants was grade 4 (> 50 individuals per 100 cm2 leaf). Althaea rosea (L.) Cavan, Helianthus annuus L. and Nicotiana tabacum L. had somewhat lower densities per 100 cm2 leaf, but themselves being much larger than the former host plant species, whole plants supported large whitefly populations. H. annuus, Z. may and S. bicolor are widely planted in cotton production areas in northern China, and the economic losses caused by whitefly infection on these plants was relatively low. H. annuus can potentially be used as a trap crop, while Z. may and S. bicolor can be used as barrier crops to manage whiteflies in cotton fields. 参考文献 相似文献 引证文献

Menthol: A simple monoterpene with remarkable biological properties

Menthol is a cyclic monoterpene alcohol which possesses well-known cooling characteristics and a residual minty smell of the oil remnants from which it was obtained. Because of these attributes it is one of the most important flavouring additives besides vanilla and citrus. Due to this reason it is used in a variety of consumer products ranging from confections such as chocolate and chewing gum to oral-care products such as toothpaste as well as in over-the-counter medicinal products for its cooling and biological effects. Its cooling effects are not exclusive to medicinal use. Approximately one quarter of the cigarettes on the market contain menthol and small amounts of menthol are even included in non-mentholated cigarettes. Natural menthol is isolated exclusively from Mentha canadensis, but can also be synthesised on industrial scale through various processes. Although menthol exists in eight stereoisomeric forms, (-)-menthol from the natural source and synthesised menthol with the same structure is the most preferred isomer. The demand for menthol is high and it was previously estimated that the worldwide use of menthol was 30-32,000 metric tonnes per annum. Menthol is not a predominant compound of the essential oils as it can only be found as a constituent of a limited number of aromatic plants. These plants are known to exhibit biological activity in vitro and in vivo such as antibacterial, antifungal, antipruritic, anticancer and analgesic effects, and are also an effective fumigant. In addition, menthol is one of the most effective terpenes used to enhance the dermal penetration of pharmaceuticals. This review summarises the chemical and biological properties of menthol and highlights its cooling effects and toxicity.

Mentha canadensis L., a subtropical plant, can withstand first few fall frosts when grown in northern climate

Japanese cornmint (Mentha canadensis L.) is a subtropical essential oil crop grown in Asia and South America. The essential oil of Japanese cornmint is the only commercial source for production of natural crystaline menthol, an important aromatic agent used in various industrial applications. The United States is a major importer and consumer of menthol and de-mentholized oil. Currently, there is no commercial production of Japanese cornmint in the United States. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of harvest dates (HD) in the fall (designed to cover the period of fall frosts) on essential oil content, oil composition, and the yields of individual oil constituents of two Japanese cornmint cultivars, ‘Arvensis 2’ and ‘Arvensis 3’. Field experiments were conducted in northern Wyoming (44°45.686′ N and −106°55.479′ W, at elevation of 1171m asl). From the first to the last HD, there were 16 frosts in 2011 and 27 frosts in 2012. Results showed that Japanese cornmint can withstand the first few fall frosts and provide good yields with desirable oil composition. The fresh yields of the two cultivars were not different for all of the HD in 2011 and for some of the HD in 2012. However, in 2012, ‘Arvensis 3’ provided larger fresh herbage yields than ‘Arvensis 2’ on 5 October, 19 October, 26 October, and 2 November HD. Oil content in fresh herbage varied from 0.126% to 0.571%, and oil yields varied from 18 to 152kg/ha as a function of HD and cultivar. Menthol concentration in the oil varied from 67% to 85% depending on HD, and was not significantly different between the two cultivars at any given HD. Later HD (5–19 October), after the first few fall frosts, did not decrease menthol concentration in the oil of Japanese mint cultivars. Japanese cornmint could be a viable crop and potentially a biofuel feedstock for northern latitude (around 44° N), at elevation of around 1170m asl.

Chemical constituents from Mentha canadensis

Phytochemical investigation on Mentha canadensis led to the isolation of two new compounds, 3,4-dihydro-3,6,7-trihydroxy-2(1H)-quinolinone (1), (E)-2-methoxy-2- oxethyl-3-(4-hydroxyphenyl) acrylate (2), along with nine known phenolic compounds, syringic acid (3), p-coumaric acid (4), esculetin (5), methyl rosmarinate (6), nepetoidin B (7), syringaresinol (8), methyl ester of caffeoyl glycollic acid (9), 2″,3″-diacetylmartynoside (10) and bracteanolide A (12). Additionally, cis-3-[2-[1-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)-1-hydroxymethyl]-1,3-benzodioxol-5-yl]-(E)-2-propenoic acid (11), which was isolated as a natural product for the first time. All these compounds were reported for the first time from this species, and their structures were elucidated by spectroscopic techniques. Compound 11 may be a useful chemotaxonomic marker for M. canadensis. The p-coumaric acid derivatives identified in the present investigation may have chemotaxonomic significance at the generic level.

In vitro induction of chromosome-doubling in cultured shoots of three cultivars of mint (Mentha canadensis L.) treated with colchicine

SummaryTo improve the yield and quality of essential oils, chromosome-doubling in mint cultivars was induced by treating shoots with colchicine in vitro. Shoot tips of three mint cultivars (‘68-7’, ‘73-8’, and ‘HU 39’) were cultured in vitro and treated at 2 months using either of two methods to induce chromosome-doubling. Explants were immersed separately in each of three concentrations of colchicine [0.1, 0.2, or 0.3% (w/v)] for 24 h or 48 h. Alternatively, shoots were cultured on solid 1.0× MS (Murashige and Skoog) medium supplemented with one of five concentrations of colchicine (10, 20, 30, 40,, or 50 mg l–1) for 30 d. After each treatment, ploidy levels were measured by flow cytometry. The results showed that high yields of 4n plants were induced by the immersion of shoots in 0.2% (w/v) colchicine for 24 h (13.3%), or by culturing shoots on MS medium containing 20 mg l–1 colchicine for 30 d (17.3%). The immersion method, which gave a survival rate of 93.3%, was more convenient and less phytotoxic to produce 4n mint plants. Compared with untreated plants, we observed fewer but larger stomata in chromosome-doubled plants. We also observed significant differences in the size, internode length, leaf length, leaf width, and stem width in chromosome-doubled mint plants.

Intercropping With Aromatic Plants Decreases Herbivore Abundance, Species Richness, and Shifts Arthropod Community Trophic Structure

Habitat management is important for the regulation of arthropod community structures to reduce pest populations in orchard ecosystems, but there is limited information on how intercropping with aromatic plants regulates arthropod community structure at trophic levels. We selected four aromatic plants, Mentha canadensis L., Agerarum houstonianum Mill, Tagetes patula L., and Ocimum basilicum L., as intercrops in apple orchard to analyze the effects of intercropping on herbivore and predator abundance, species richness, and to measure the changes of trophic levels of the associated arthropod community. We found that intercropping with aromatic plants, compared with intercropping with natural herb vegetation, significantly reduced herbivore abundance and species richness by 25.62 and 11.6%, respectively. Intercropping significantly increased predator abundance and species richness by 18.78 and 15.6%, respectively, with predator abundance most notably affected during the flowering period of aromatic plants. Furthermore, herbivore abundance and species richness were strongly negatively correlated with predator species richness. Intercropping affected herbivore-predator dynamics, with an observed increase in the ratios of predator abundance and richness to herbivore abundance and richness. Our results indicate that intercropping with aromatic plants in apple orchards may play a role in the observed shift from a herbivore-dominated to a predator-dominated trophic structure, which is likely to have important flow-on effects on arthropod community structure.

Effect of Distillation Time on Mentha canadensis Essential Oil Yield and Composition

Japanese cornmint (Mentha canadensis L.) is a major essential oil crop grown in Asia, South America, and to a limited extent in eastern Europe. Japanese cornmint oil is the only commercially viable source for crystalline menthol. We hypothesized that the length of the distillation time (DT) will have an effect on Japanese cornmint essential oil content and composition. Therefore, the objective was to evaluate the effect of eight DTs (1.25, 2.5, 5, 10, 20, 40, 80, and 160 min) on essential oil content and composition. The essential oil content (0.43% to 1.06% range) reached maximum at 10 min DT; further increase in DT did not significantly increase essential oil content. The concentrations of alpha-pinene (0.14% to 0.76% range), beta-pinene (0.23–0.81), 3-octanal (0.19–0.34), limonene (0.69% to 1.53%), eucalyptol (0.06% to 0.12%), isopulegone (0.42% to 0.56%), and isomenthone (4.4% to 5.7%) were highest at 1.25 to 5 min DT and generally decreased to their respective minimums at 160 min DT. The concentration of menthone (4.3% to 6.3%) was highest at 1.25 min DT, decreased at 2.5 min, and was lowest at 10 to 160 min DT. The concentration of piperitone (0.98% to 1.27%) was lowest at 1.25 min DT and higher at 5 to 40 min DT compared with other DTs. The concentration of menthol (74% to 79%) was low at 1.25 min, then increased at 10 to 80 min DT, and reached a maximum at 160 min DT. Generally, the yield of most individual essential oil constituents was lower at 1.25 min DT relative to the other DT and reached maximum at 10 to 20 min DT. The yield of menthol was low at 1.25 to 2.5 min DT and rose at 5 min to 160 min DT. The results suggest that different DTs can be used to maximize recovery of certain constituents. Also, the results demonstrated that there are no oil yield gains after 20 min DT, which is much lower than the usual distillation time of 60 min or more. This study can be used as a reference when comparing reports in which different DTs were used.

Applying DNA barcoding technique to identify Menthae Haplocalycis Herba

To identify Menthae Haplocalycis Herba and its closely related species using DNA barcoding technique. Total genomic DNA was isolated from Mentha canadensis and its closely related species. Nuclear DNA ITS2 sequences were amplified, and purified PCR products were sequenced. Sequence assembly and consensus sequence generation were performed using the CodonCode Aligner V3.0. The Kimura 2-Parameter (K2P) distances were calculated using software MEGA 5.0. Identification analyses were performed using BLAST1, Nearest Distance and neighbor-joining (NJ) methods. The intra-specific genetic distances of M. canadensis were ranged from 0 to 0.006, which were lower than inter-specific genetic distances between M. canadensis and its closely related species (0.071-0.231). All the three methods showed that ITS2 could discriminate M. canadensis from its closely related species correctly. The ITS2 region is an efficient barcode for identification of Menthae Haplocalycis Herba, which provides a scientific basis for fast and accurate identification of the herb.

Alternativas de propagação na produção de óleo essencial de Mentha canadensis L. no Litoral Norte Catarinense

O gênero Mentha é cultivado mundialmente para a produção de óleo essencial, com ênfase no constituinte mentol, amplamente utilizado nas indústrias farmacêutica, cosmética, alimentícia e de higiene pessoal. Este trabalho teve como objetivo avaliar o efeito da utilização de diferentes estruturas de propagação e épocas de colheita de Mentha canadensis L. no Litoral Norte Catarinense. O delineamento experimental foi em blocos ao acaso em esquema fatorial 4x2, comparando quatro estruturas de propagação (estolões com 10, 15 e 20 cm de comprimento e estacas com 5 cm de comprimento) e duas épocas de colheita (95 dias após o plantio e 60 dias após a rebrota). Em cada colheita foi avaliado o crescimento vegetativo e produtividade de óleo essencial e de mentol. Na primeira colheita, houve maior acúmulo de massa seca de folhas, caules e total; produtividade de óleo essencial e de mentol quando o plantio foi realizado com mudas obtidas por estaquia. Na segunda colheita, no entanto, não houve diferença significativa entre os tratamentos para todas as variáveis analisadas. A primeira colheita resultou em médias superiores em relação à segunda colheita à exceção do plantio por estolão com 10 cm em todas as variáveis e estolão com 20 cm para a massa seca de caules. Os constituintes majoritários do óleo essencial foram mentol, mentona e neomentol. Os teores de mentol foram significativamente superiores na segunda colheita e de mentona na primeira colheita, sendo que o neomentol não apresentou diferença significativa em ambas as colheitas. Os resultados obtidos sugerem que a colheita antecipada da rebrota proporciona maior concentração de mentol no óleo essencial. O uso de estolões como estrutura de propagação pode ser considerada uma alternativa viável para menta, pois além de apresentar níveis similares de produção de óleo essencial e de mentol a partir da segunda colheita ao de áreas implantadas com mudas, diminui o custo de produção.

Yield and Composition of Oil from Japanese Cornmint Fresh and Dry Material Harvested Successively

A field experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of harvest time and drying on Japanese cornmint (Mentha canadensis L.) cultivars Arvensis 2 and Arvensis 3 to optimize technology. Biomass yields were comparable to those reported in the literature. Arvensis 2 had greater oil content (0.78%) than Arvensis 3 (0.59%), while Arvensis 3 had higher concentrations of (‐)‐menthol (71.9%) and (‐)‐menthone (13.5%) than Arvensis 2 (61.7 and 9.4%, respectively). Arvensis 3 had higher fresh biomass (34,289 kg ha−1) than that of Arvensis 2 (23,929 kg ha−1). Dried biomass of the two cultivars was not significantly different. Higher oil yields were achieved from the fresh biomass of Arvensis 2 (108.7 kg ha−1), and lower from the dried biomass of Arvensis 2 (78.2 kg ha−1) and the fresh biomass of Arvensis 3 (84.3 kg ha−1). The concentration of (‐)‐menthol in the cultivars was higher at harvests 4 (69.3%) and 5 (67.7%), and lower at harvests 2 (63.6%) and 3 (64.7%). The yield of (‐)‐menthol was highest in harvest 4 (116.2 kg ha−1), lower in harvest 3 (78.4 kg ha−1) and lowest in the first harvest (19.1 kg ha−1). In northern Mississippi (or in other areas with similar latitude and environment), cornmint for production of (‐)‐menthol should be harvested in late July. For highest biomass yields, Arvensis 3 should be harvested in mid‐July, whereas Arvensis 2 should be harvested in late July. The essential oil profile of M. canadensis in this experiment was more desirable (with respect to (‐)‐menthol concentration) than the profile of two commercially available M. canadensis oil samples from other countries, which should make the oil produced in southeastern United States easily marketable.

Yield, Content, and Composition of Peppermint and Spearmints as a Function of Harvesting Time and Drying

Peppermint ( Mentha × piperita L.) and spearmints ('Scotch' spearmint, M. × gracilis Sole, and 'Native' spearmint, Mentha spicata L.) are widely grown essential oil crops in more northern latitudes; however, there is limited information on how harvest time and drying influence peppermint and spearmint yield, oil composition, and bioactivity, when grown south of the 41st parallel. In this 2-year study, the effects of harvest time and drying on the yield, oil composition, and bioactivity of peppermint ('Black Mitcham' and 'B90-9'), 'Scotch' spearmint, and 'Native' spearmint were evaluated. Peppermint oil from the dried material had higher menthol and eucalyptol concentrations. Menthone in both peppermint cultivars decreased from harvest 1 (late June) to harvest 5 (late August) or 6 (early September), whereas menthol increased. (-)-Carvone in spearmints accumulated early, before flowering, allowing for early harvest. Oil yields from the dried spearmint biomass reached the maximum at harvest 3 (mid-July). The essential oil compositions of the four mint genotypes were similar to that of 11 commercially available oils, suggesting that these genotypes can be grown in the hot, humid environment of the southeastern United States. The antioxidant activities (ORAC(oil) values) of the essential oils were 4372, 1713, 1107, and 471 μmol of TE L(-1) for 'Scotch' spearmint, 'Native' spearmint, peppermint, and Japanese cornmint ( Mentha canadensis ), respectively. The oils of the four mint genotypes did not affect ruminal fermentation in vivo, and did not exhibit antimicrobial, antileishmanial, or antimalarial activity at levels that would warrant bioassay-directed fractionation in a drug-discovery screening program. Specifically, the oils did not show greater than 50% growth inhibition against Leishmania donovani , Plasmodium falciparum clones D6 and W2, Candida albicans , Escherichia coli , Pseudomonas aeruginosa , Cryptococcus neoformans , Mycobacterium intracellulare , or Aspergillus fumigates at 50 μg mL(-1).

Study on Japanese Cornmint in Mississippi

Japanese cornmint (Mentha canadensis L.) is a subtropical essential oil crop grown in Asia and South America. The essential oil of Japanese cornmint is the source for production of crystal (–)‐menthol, which is an important aromatic agent used in various industries. The United States is a major importer and consumer of (–)‐menthol and de‐mentholized oil. Currently there is no production of Japanese cornmint in the United States. A 2‐yr study was conducted in Mississippi to evaluate the effect of N application rates (0, 80, and 160 kg ha−1) and cut (harvest time, with a first cut in July, and a second cut in October) on herbage yields, essential oil content, and composition of two Japanese cornmint genotypes (‘Arvensis 2’ and ‘Arvensis 3’). Both cultivars provided two cuts and comparable herbage and oil yields to literature reports. Generally, N application increased fresh herbage and oil yields relative to the untreated control. Herbage, essential oil, (–)‐menthol, and (–)‐menthone yields were greater from the first cut than from the second for both cultivars. The concentration of (–)‐menthol in the oil of both cultivars was approximately 50% in 2007; however, in 2008 the (–)‐menthol concentration was 67 to 76% in ‘Arvensis 2’ and 73 to 78% in ‘Arvensis 3’. This study demonstrates that Japanese cornmint could be successfully grown in Mississippi and possibly other areas in the southeastern United States with similar environmental conditions.

Chemical Composition, Olfactory Evaluation and Antioxidant Effects of Essential Oil from Mentha Canadensis

The chemical composition of the essential oil from cornmint ( Mentha canadensis L.) was analyzed by GC/FID and GCMS. The main constituents were menthol (41.2%) and menthone (20.4%). It was established that cornmint oil had antiradical activity with respect to the DPPH and hydroxyl (OH•) radicals. The concentrations necessary for 50% neutralization of the respective radicals (IC50) were 365.0 μg/mL for DPPH and 0.3 μg/mL for OH•, which was indicative that the antioxidant activity in terms of OH• was higher than that of quercetin. Cornmint oil chelated the Fe3+ ions present in the solution. The oil demonstrated antioxidant activity in a linoleic acid emulsion model system, where at 0.1% concentration it inhibited the formation of conjugated dienes by 57.1% and the generation of secondary oxidized products of linoleic acid by 76.1%.

Antimicrobial Activities of Essential Oils of Nepal

The volatile components of two essential oils obtained from plants indigenous to Nepal, anthopogon (Rhododendron anthopogon) and Curcuma zedoaria oils, and four oils, chamomile (Chamomilla recutita), French basil (Ocimum basilicum), cornmint (Mentha canadensis) and palmarosa (Cymbopogon martini var. martini), which are exotic but produced in Nepal, were analyzed with GC/MS and the antimicrobial activity of all the six oils were examined using Petri plate-paper disk method. The microorganisms tested were Staphylococcus aureus (IFO14462), Corynebacterium amycolatum (IFO 15207), Escherichia coli (IFO 15034), Candida albicans (IFO 1594) and Aspergillus ochraceus (IFO 31221). Anthopogon oil contained δ-cadinene (11.4%) and Curcuma zedoaria oil contained 1,8-cineole (15.8%) and β-eudesmol (10.6%) as major volatile components. All of the examined oils indicated antimicrobial activity at similar levels to that of oils with the same designation previously reported. It was revealed that oils produced in Nepal be effectively applicable to a variety of uses in terms of antimicrobial activity

Mentha canadensis L. (Lamiaceae): a relict amphidiploid from the Lower Tertiary

AbstractTwo clones of Mentha arvensis L., both with 2n = 72 from Europe, one with 49.20 ± 2.28% pulegone, another with 57.31 ± 9.41% linalool, were hybridized with M. longifolia (L.) L. from Europe with 2n = 24 and 51.87 ± 0.50% trans‐piperitone oxide. The F1 hybrids had essential oils rich in pulegone, isomenthone, menthone, trans‐isopulegone, menthol, neomenthol, 3‐octanol, linalool, cis‐piperitone oxide, trans‐piperitone oxide, carvone, limonene, piperitenone oxide, trans‐carveol, trans‐sabinene hydrate, 3‐octanone, terpinen‐4‐ol, (Z)‐β‐ocimene, geranyl acetate, citronellyl acetate, and/or β‐caryophyllene. Thirty‐nine F1 hybrids of this cross are similar to 23 clones of M. canadensis L. from North America and Asia with 2n = 96 when compared by chromosome numbers, morphology, and essential oils. Mentha canadensis is proposed as a relict amphidiploid of the mixed mesophytic flora of the Lower Tertiary.

Conversion of menthyl acetate or neomenthyl acetate into menthol or neomenthol by cell suspension cultures of Mentha canadensis and Mentha piperita

Suspension cultures of Mentha canadensis and Mentha piperita transformed added l-(−)-menthyl acetate and d-(+)-menthyl acetate such as d-(+)-neomenthyl acetate and l-(−)-neomenthyl acetate into their corresponding alcohols. Within 24 h most of the l-(−)-menthol was converted into l-(−)-menthyl glucoside. Small amounts of d-(+)-menthol and d-(+)-neomenthol were also transformed into their glucosides, while l-(−)-neomenthol decreased without glucosylation. In cultured M. canadensis the glucosylation was more enantioselective and stereospecific to l-menthol than in cultured M. piperita