Menthol biological activities

Hydroperoxide-n-Butyllithium gives 50% de. Chiral 3-amino esters of 8-phenylmenthol have been prepared in 50-60% de by the addition of amines to the re face of 8-phenylmenthyl crotonate under 14-15 kbar pressures (eq 2). Much higher (75 to >99%) de is obtained using 8-0-naphthyl)menthol crotonate. The 3-amino esters obtained are of the proper configuration for conversion to biologically active 3-lactams. ... 

Physical form Menthol has characteristic odour and aromatic taste. Biological activity Antipruritic and antiseptic. 

Monoterpenes sesquiterpenes (-i-)-limonene p-caryophyllene a-humulene myrcene (—)-menthol nerolidol farnesol linalool bisabolol carvacrol thymol perillyl alcohol 1,8-cineol thujone camphor citral pulegone biological activity... 

In addition to its use in the tobacco industry, menthol provides many biological activities, which make it extremely attractive in pharmacy and medicine. It has been reported that menthol showed anticancer effects by being effective in treating prostate cancer in vitro. Menthol induced cell death in prostate cells through TRPM8 activation and the resulting increase in Ca" [45]. 

More than a half of mint oil production falls on peppermint oil and it is the most important because of its exceptional properties. Wide spectrum of therapeutic properties of this oil includes antibacterial and antifungal activities. Biological activity of mint oils is due to the content of their main constituent (IR, 3R, 4S)-(-)-menthol. Mint oils have shown high or middle activity against bacteria and fungi when compared with other essential oils. Peppermint oil was assessed more frequently than Japanese mint oil, that usually was tested as a raw but not dementhohzed oil. 

In general, some studies have addressed several issues mentioning that menthol has the potential to become a new drug active on cancer cells. However, caution should be exercised here because menthol has a number of different biological actions which could be an actual problem in terms of developing a new class of drugs. Clearly more in vivo and in vitro studies are essential to better certify this prospective. 

Menthol is a natural compound isolated from a variety of plants and it has been mostly used as analgesic. Recently, it was demonstrated by a number of studies that menthol produces cool sensation which is mediated by the activation of TRPM8 channels. Experimental work from different laboratories has demonstrated that menthol has several additional pharmacological activities that compose its pharmacological features. In this chapter, we have pointed out a scenario where menthol is posed as the main actor toward the understanding of its biological and toxicological effects. 

Biological target Menthol is a natural terpenoid with agonist activity at the thermoreceptive, non-selective cation channel, transient receptor potential mela-statin type 8 (TRPM8). Present on nerve fibres and skin cells, these channels are activated by a fall in temperature and mediate analgesia. Menthol is also an agonist at GABAa receptors, for which (+)-menthol reveals stereoselectivity. 

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