Piperita

Menthol Manufacture. Of the menthol isomers, only (-)-menthol [2216-51 -5] and (+)-menthol [15356-70-4] are of commercial importance. The most important natural sources of (—)-menthol are the oUs of Mentha arvensis (75—90%) and Mentha piperita (50—65%). The main suppUers ate Japan, China, BrazU, and Taiwan for the former and the United States, CIS, Bulgaria, and Italy for the latter. (—)-Menthol is known for its refreshing, diffusive odor characteristic of peppermint. It also is known for its strong physiological cooling effect, which is useful in cigarettes, dentifrices, cosmetics, and pharmaceuticals. 

At the first sign of a cold, it can be mixed with hyssop (Hyssopus officinalis), peppermint (Mentha piperita) and yarrow (.Achillea millefolium). 

Peppermint oil is the volatile oil extracted from the fresh leaves of the flowering plant of Mentha piperita via steam distillation. Peppermint oil contains not less than 44% menthol. American peppermint oil contains from 50 to 78% of free /-menthol (Fig. 13.12.1) and from 5 to 20% combined in various es-... 

AMELUNXEN, F., WAHLIG, T., ARBEITER, H., liber den Nachweis des atherischen Ols in isolierten Driisenhaaren und Driisenschuppen von Mentha x piperita L., Z. Pflanzenphysiol., 1969,61, 68-72. 

VOIRIN, B., BAYET, C., Developmental variations in leaf flavonoid aglycones of Mentha x piperita, Phytochemistry, 1992, 31,2299-2304. 

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. 

Natural peppermint contains several components that, if ingested, lead to a cold sensation in the mouth. The best known and best understood is (-)-menthol (IV), which is the dominant component of the peppermint oil extracted from Mentha piperita and M. arvensia. 

It was stated that the chromatographic analysis of the flavonoid profde may help the determination of taxonomic relationships between these species [125], The optimization of the separation of flavonoid glycosides of Mentha piperita (Laminaceae) was carried out on silica, amino, cyano and C18 HPTLC statinoary phases. The investigation was motivated by the spasmolytic, carminative and cholagogue characteristics of the plant. Air-dried and powdered leaves of peppermint (300 g) were extracted with methanol-water 1 1 v/v at ambient temperature. The suspension was filtered, concentrated to 200 ml acidified to pH 3 with formic acid and separated in an ODS column (400 X 40 mm i.d. particle size 40 pm). 

I. Fecka, A. Kowalczyk and W. Cisowski, Optimization of the separation of flavonoid glycosides and rosmarinic acid from Mentha piperita on HPTLC plates. J. Plan. Chromatogr.— Mod. TLC 17 (2004) 22-25. 

Enantiomerically pure (li , 45)(—)-menthone and (li , 4i )(- -)-isomenthone were detected in many oils oiMentha, such asM.piperita,... 

Croteau R, Venkatachalam KV, Metabolism of monoterpenes Demonstration that (-l-)- t-isopulegone, not piperitenone, is the key intermediate in the conversion of (—)- isopiperitenone to (-l-)-pulegone in peppermint Mentha piperita), Arch Biochem Biophys 249 306—315, 1986. 

Fuchs S, BeckT, Sandvoss M, Mosandl A, Biogenetic studies mMenthas.piperita. 2. Stereoselectivity in the bioconversion of pulegone into menthone and isomen-thone, JAgricPood Chem 47 3058—3062, 1999. 

Burbott, A. ]., R. Croteau, W. E. Shine, and W. D. Loomis. Biosynthesis of cyclic monoterpenes by cell freee extracts of Mentha piperita. Int Congr Essent Oils (PAP) 6 Allured Publ Corp Oak Park, 111 1974 17 1. 

Voirin, B., Bayet, C., and Colson, M., Demonstration that flavone aglycones accumulate in the peltate glands of Mentha x piperita leaves.. Phytochemistry, 34, 85, 1993. 

Menthol is the isomer that occurs most widely in nature. It is the main component of peppermint and cornmint oils obtained from the Mentha piperita and Mentha arvensis species. Esterified menthol also occurs in these oils (e.g., as the acetate and iso valerate). Other menthol stereoisomers may be present in these oils as well. 

Peppermint oil is produced by steam distillation of the flowering herb Mentha piperita L. It is an almost colorless to pale greenish-yellow liquid with a characteristic peppermint odor. 

Mentha piperita and Mentha canadensis Menthyl acetate Menthol [94]... 

Peppermint leaf Mentha piperita (Lamiaceae) Menthol, menthone... 

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