M. officinalis Hull; and others Lamiaceae (Labiatae) Balm mint; lamb mint Menthae piperitae folium; Menthae piperitae aetheroleum (peppermint oil) Whole dried leaves; essential oil, obtained through steam distillation from flowering aerial parts The major constituent of peppermint leaves is the essential oil (0.5–4 %), which contains the monoterpenes menthol (30–55%) and menthone (14–32 %). Menthol is found mainly in the free alcohol form, with small quantities as the acetate (3–5%) and valerate esters. Other monoterpene constituents include isomenthone (2–10%), 1,8-cineole (6–14%), α-pinene (1.0–1.5%), β-pinene (1–2%), limonene (1–5%), pulegone (<4%), neomenthol (2.5–3.5%) and menthofuran (1–9%). There is a maximum level of pulegone allowed due to its toxicity (EMEA 2008a,b; WHO 2004; Williamson et al. 2013). Clinical evidence for the use of peppermint leaf is lacking (McKay and Blumberg 2006). Human studies on the gastrointestinal, respiratory tract and analgesic effects of peppermint oil have been reported, although clinical trials are limited. A number of clinical trials on peppermint oil in the treatment for IBS have been evaluated in systematic reviews, which have concluded that peppermint is an effective antispasmodic (Ford et al. 2008; Ruepert et al. 2011). Studies investigating the analgesic effect of topically applied peppermint oil (10% in ethanol) have found that it reduced pain significantly more than placebo, and as much as paracetamol (Pharmaceutical Press Editorial Team 2013). The antispasmodic effects of peppermint oil have been largely attributed to its menthol content, which has calcium channel modifying activity (Grigoleit and Grigoleit 2005). The mechanism of action of peppermint oil has not been entirely elucidated, although both peppermint oil and menthol have been shown to act as 5-HT3
Peppermint
Mentha × piperita L.
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