Peppermint Mentha x piperita

McCASKILL, D., GERSHENZON, J., CROTEAU, R., Morphology and monoterpene biosynthetic capabilities of secretory cell clusters isolated from glandular trichomes of peppermint (Mentha x piperita L.), Planta, 1992,187, 445-454. 

McCASKILL, D., CROTEAU, R., Monoterpene and sesquiterpene biosynthesis in glandular trichomes of peppermint Mentha x piperita) rely exclusively on plastid-derived isopentenyl diphosphate, Planta, 1995,197,49-56. 

NIU, X., LIN, K., HASEGAWA, P.M., BRESSAN, R.A., WELLER, S.C., Transgenic peppermint (Mentha x piperita) plants obtained by cocultivation with Agrobacterium tumefaciens, Plant Cell Rep., 1998,17, 165-171. 

Luzutka JR, Mierauskiene J, Slapsyte G, et al. Genotoxicity of dill (Anethum graveolus L.), peppermint (mentha x piperita L.) and pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) essential oils in human lymphocytes and Drosophila melanogaster. Food Chem Tox 2001 39 485. 

In other systems, a particular structure may be found as a mixture of diastereoisomers. Peppermint (Mentha x piperita Labiatae/Lamiaceae) typically produces (—)-menthol, with smaller amounts of the stereoisomers (+)-neomenthol, (+)-isomenthol, and (+)-neoisomenthol, covering four of the possible eight stereoisomers (Figure 5.16). Oils from various Mentha species also contain significant amounts of ketones, e.g. (—)-menthone, (+)-isomenthone, (—)-piperitone, or (+)-pulegone. The metabolic relationship of... 

Peppermint Mentha x piperita (Labiatae/Lamiaceae) fresh leaf... 

Crock, J., Wildung, M. and Croteau, R. (1997) Isolation and bacterial expression of a sesquiterpene synthase cDNA clone from peppermint (Mentha x piperita, L.) that produces the aphid alarm pheromone (E)-beta-famesene. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 94, 12833-8. 

Rajaonarivony, J.I.M., Gershenzon, J. and Croteau, R. (1992) Characterization and mechanism of (4S)-limonene synthase, a monoterpene cyclase from the glandular trichomes of peppermint (Mentha x piperita). Arch. Biochem. Biophys., 296, 49-57. 

The combined genomics and chemical approaches to plant terpenoid research are not restricted to the few plant species for which more or less complete genome sequences are now available. The discovery of many of the genes and enzymes for the formation of terpenoids such as menthol and related monoter-penes in peppermint Mentha x piperita) (15), artemisinin in Artemisia annua (16), Taxol in the yew tree (Taxus) (17), or conifer diterpene resin acids in species of spmce (Picea ) and pine (Pinus) (18) have been possible on the foundation of highly specialized efforts of EST and full-length cDNA sequencing combined with characterization of recombinant enzymes and analysis of the terpenoid metabolome of the target plant species. 

Another favorite substance for medicine and cosmetics is menthol. It is obtained from a number of heibs, peppermint (Mentha x piperita L.) being the most common source (Fig. 2.13). The peppermint plant contains about 1-3 % essential oil, which can be obtained by a chemical separation method called steam distilla-tiom About half of the oil is menthol and its derivatives, terpenes, and flavonoids. Menthol has a pleasant odor and eooling effect, and these two properties are why... 

Peppermint Mentha x piperita L. Lanuaceae Leaf Cult HQ... 

Diemer, R, F. Jullien, 0. Faure, S. Moja, M. Colson, E. Matthys-Rochon, and J.C. Caissard, 1998. High ef -ciency transformation of peppermint (Mentha x piperita L.) with Agrobacterium tumefaciens. Plant Sci., 136 101-108. 

The monoterpene biosynthesis in different species of Lamiaceae, for example, sage (Salvia officinalis) and peppermint (Mentha x piperita), is restricted to a brief period early in leaf development (Croteau et al., 1981 Gershenzon et al., 2000). The monoterpene biosynthesis in peppermint reaches a maximum in 15-day-old leaves, only very low rates were observed in leaves younger than 12 days or older than 20 days. The monoterpene content of the peppermint leaves increased rapidly up to day 21, then leveled off, and kept stable for the remainder of the leaf life (Gershenzon et al., 2000). 

A first step in genetic engineering is the development and optimization of transformation (gene transfer) protocols for the target species. Such optimized protocols exist for essential oil plants such as lavandin (Lavandula x intermedia Dronne et al., 1999), spike lavender (Lavandula latifolia Nebauer et al., 2000), and peppermint (Mentha x piperita Diemer et al., 1998 Niu et al., 2000). 

Presumably the most studied essential oil plant is peppermint (Mentha x piperita L.). Already in the 1950s Lemli (1955) stated that the proportion of menthol to menthone in peppermint leaves changes in the course of the development toward higher menthol contents. Lawrence (2007) has just recently shown that from immature plants via mature to senescent plants the content of menthol increases (34.8-39.9 8.2%) and correspondingly the menthone content decreases dramatically (26.8-17.4-4.7%). At the same time, also an increase of menthyl acetate from 8.5% to 23.3% of the oil could be observed. At full flowering, the peppermint herb oil contains only 36.8% menthol but 21.8% menthone, 7.7% menthofuran, and almost 3% pulegone due to the fact that the flower oils are richer in... 

Rational phytotherapy relies on active substances from plants. Classical essential oil-bearing medicinal plants are German chamomile Matricaria recutita), thyme Thymus vulgaris), peppermint Mentha x piperita), caraway Carum carvi), and fennel Foeniculum vulgare) [43, 47]. They are not only used to cure human disease but are of increasing interest in veterinary phytotherapy. 

Importantly, these genomic libraries can be enriched for the appropriate gene transcripts if the tissue or cell type from which the genetic material is harvested conesponds to the site of natural product production. For example, 25% of the clones in cDNA obtained exclusively from the oil gland secretory cell of peppermint Mentha x piperita) appear to be involved in oil metabolism [28]. In another example, mRNA for construction of a C. roseus cDNA Ubraiy obtained from epidermal cells resulted in a collection enriched in genes involved in alkaloid biosynthesis [21]. 

An example of terpenoid lactones that widely occur in plants is monoterpenic lactone (6R,7aR)-3,6-dimethyl-5,6,7,7a-tetrahydro-4H-l-benzofuran-2-one, known as mint lactone (8-115), with mint, herbaceous and coumarinic odours that is found together with related lactones in the essential oil of peppermint Mentha x piperita, Lamiaceae), pennyroyal (M. pulegium) and other mint oils. 

Source Peppermint Mentha x piperita L. (hybrid of M. spicata L. and M. aquatica L) Spearmint Mentha spicata L. (syn. M. viridis L.) Cornmint Mentha arvensis L. vai.piperascens Malinvaud (Family Labia-tae or Lamiaceae). 

S. Foster, Peppermint—Mentha x Piperita, Botanical Series, no. 301, American Botanical Council, Austin, TX, 1991. 

Other common herbs also appear to contain significant amounts of antioxidants. Among the more familiar, are dill (Anethum graveolens), coriander (Polygonum odoratum), peppermint (Mentha x piperita), sweet basil (Ocimum basilicum), parsley (Petroselinum crispum), and chives (Allium schoenoprasum) and their respective antioxidant activity ORAC values are 29.12, 22.30, 15.84, 14.27, 11.03, and 9.15 pmol of Trolox equivalents/g fresh weight (39). 

---