Chemical composition, olfactory evaluation and antioxidant effects of essential oil from Mentha canadensis

Nat Prod Commun. 2009 Jul;4(7):1011-6.

Abstract

The chemical composition of the essential oil from cornmint (Mentha canadensis L.) was analyzed by GC/FID and GC-MS. 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 microg/mL for DPPH and 0.3 microg/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%.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Antioxidants / chemistry*
  • Antioxidants / pharmacology*
  • Biphenyl Compounds / chemistry
  • Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry
  • Hydroxyl Radical / chemistry
  • Iron Chelating Agents / chemistry
  • Linoleic Acid / chemistry
  • Mentha / chemistry*
  • Odorants / analysis*
  • Oils, Volatile / chemistry*
  • Oils, Volatile / pharmacology*
  • Oxidants / chemistry
  • Picrates / chemistry
  • Plant Leaves / chemistry
  • Quercetin / pharmacology
  • Thiobarbituric Acid Reactive Substances / chemistry

Substances

  • Antioxidants
  • Biphenyl Compounds
  • Iron Chelating Agents
  • Oils, Volatile
  • Oxidants
  • Picrates
  • Thiobarbituric Acid Reactive Substances
  • Hydroxyl Radical
  • Quercetin
  • Linoleic Acid
  • 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl