Peppermint Oil 500mL

Peppermint Oil 500mL

Peppermint Oil 500mL

Peppermint (Mentha × piperita, also known as Mentha balsamea Wild)^[1] is a hybrid mint, a cross between watermint and spearmint.^[2] Indigenous to Europe and the Middle East,^[3] the plant is now widely spread and cultivated in many regions of the world.^[4] It is occasionally found in the wild with its parent species.^[4][5]

Although the genus Mentha comprises more than 25 species, the one in most common use is peppermint.^[6] While Western peppermint is derived from Mentha piperita, Chinese peppermint, or “Bohe” is derived from the fresh leaves of Mentha haplocalyx.^[7][8][9] Mentha piperita and Mentha haplocalyx are both recognized as plant sources of menthol and menthone and are among the oldest herbs used for both culinary and medicinal products.

Chemical Structure Peppermint Oil 500mL

Saferty

Medicinal uses of peppermint have not been approved as effective or safe by the US Food and Drug Administration.^[51] With caution that the concentration of the peppermint constituent pulegone should not exceed more than 1% (140 mg), peppermint preparations are considered safe by the European Medicines Agency when used in topical formulations for adult subjects.^[52][53] Diluted peppermint essential oil is safe for oral intake when only a few drops are used.^[47][52]

Skin rashes, irritation, or an allergic reaction may result from applying peppermint oil to the skin,^[51] and its use on the face or chest of young children may cause side effects if the oil menthol is inhaled.^[47][52] A common side effect from oral intake of peppermint oil or capsules is heartburn.^[51] Oral use of peppermint products may have adverse effects when used with iron supplements, cyclosporine, medicines for heart conditions or high blood pressure, or medicines to decrease stomach acid.

Description

Chemical constituents

Peppermint has a high menthol content. The essential oil also contains menthone and carboxyl esters, particularly menthyl acetate.^[35] Dried peppermint typically has 0.3–0.4% of volatile oil containing menthol (7–48%), menthone (20–46%), menthyl acetate (3–10%), menthofuran (1–17%) and 1,8-cineol (3–6%). Peppermint oil also contains small amounts of many additional compounds including limonene, pulegone, caryophyllene and pinene.^[36]

Peppermint contains terpenoids and flavonoids such as eriocitrin, hesperidin, and kaempferol 7-O-rutinoside.^[37]

Oil Peppermint Oil 500mL

Peppermint oil has a high concentration of natural pesticides, mainly pulegone (found mainly in Mentha arvensis var. piperascens cornmint, field mint, Japanese mint, and to a lesser extent (6,530 ppm) in Mentha × piperita subsp. notho^[38]) and menthone.^[39] It is known to repel some pest insects, including mosquitos, and has uses in organic gardening. It is also widely used to repel rodents.^{[40][41][42][43]}

The chemical composition of the essential oil from peppermint (Mentha × piperita L.) was analyzed by GC/FID and GC-MS. The main constituents were menthol (40.7%) and menthone (23.4%). Further components were (±)-menthyl acetate, 1,8-cineole, limonene, beta-pinene and beta-caryophyllene.^[44]

Research and health effects

Peppermint oil is under preliminary research for its potential as a short-term treatment for irritable bowel syndrome,^[45][46] and has supposed uses in traditional medicine for minor ailments.^[47] Peppermint oil and leaves have a cooling effect when used topically for muscle pain, nerve pain, relief from itching, or as a fragrance.^[47][48] High oral doses of peppermint oil (500 mg) can cause mucosal irritation and mimic heartburn.^[47][48]

Culinary and other uses

Fresh or dried peppermint leaves are often used alone in peppermint tea or with other herbs in herbal teas (tisanes, infusions). Peppermint is used for flavouring ice cream, candy, fruit preserves, alcoholic beverages, chewing gum, toothpaste, and some shampoos, soaps and skin care products.^[33][34]

Menthol activates cold-sensitive TRPM8 receptors in the skin and mucosal tissues, and is the primary source of the cooling sensation that follows the topical application of peppermint oil.