Folium Menthae Piperitae

Definition
Folium Menthae Piperitae consists of the dried leaves of Mentha piperita L. (Lamiaceae) (1-3).
Synonyms
Mentha piperita (L.) Huds., M. piperita Stokes, M. balsamea Willd. (1, 4).
Selected vernacular names
Amentha, american mint, balm mint, brandy mint, cabra-caa, curled mint, doun menta piperita,
hierbabuena, hortela pimenta, Katzenkraut, lamb mint, la menta, lamint, menta piemonte, mentea
peperina, mentha pepe, menthe, menthe anglaise, menthe poivre, moto yuyo, nna, ni naa, nina
el fulfully, pepermin, pepper mint, peppermint, Pfefferminze, Pfefferminzbltter, piperita,
pudeena, pum hub, yerba mota (1, 4, 5).
Geographical distribution
Commercially cultivated in eastern and northern Europe and the United States of America, and is
found in Africa (1, 3, 6, 7).
Description
A perennial herb, 30-90 cm high. Stems square erect or ascending, branched, the upper portion
always quadrangular. Leaves opposite, petiolate, ovateoblong to oblong-lanceolate, serrate,
pointed; dark green on the upper surface. Flowers purplish, occur in thick, terminal, spicoid
racemes of verticillasters; each flower shows a tubular calyx with 5 sharp, hairy teeth, a purplish,
irregular, 4-cleft corolla, 4 short stamens, a 4-celled ovary and a projecting style ending in a bifid
stigma. Fruit consists of 4 ellipsoidal nutlets (1, 7, 8).
Plant material of interest: dried leaves
General appearance
Green to greenish-brown. Leaves whole, broken or cut; thin, fragile; whole leaf 3-9 cm long and
1-3 cm wide, often crumpled. Lamina oval or lanceolate; apex acuminate; margin sharply
dentate; base asymmetrical. Venation pinnate, prominent on the lower surface, with lateral veins
leaving the midrib at an angle of about 45. Lower surface slightly pubescent and secretory
trichomes visible under a hand lens as bright yellowish points. Petiole grooved, usually up to 1
mm in diameter and up to 1 cm long (2).
Organoleptic properties
Odour: characteristic, penetrating; taste: characteristic, aromatic (2).
Microscopic characteristics
Upper epidermis composed of large, clear epidermal cells with sinuous, vertical walls and
possessing few or no stomata, few glandular trichomes present; palisade parenchyma,
comprising a layer of columnar cells rich in chloroplasts; spongy parenchyma, of 4-6 layers of
irregularly shaped chloroplastidcontaining cells and intercellular air-spaces. Lower epidermis of
small epidermal cells with sinuous, vertical walls and numerous diacytic stomata; in the region
of veins and midrib, exhibits non-glandular and glandular trichomes as outgrowths; non-
glandular trichomes uniseriate, papillose, 1-8-celled; glandular trichomes have 1-2-celled stalk
and 1-8-celled glandular head containing the essential oil. Calcium oxalate crystals absent;
pollen grains spheroidal and smooth (1, 4, 7, 8).
Powdered plant material
Brownish-green. Fragments of leaf tissue with cells of epidermis having sinuous walls, cuticle
striated over the veins, diacytic stomata present predominantly on the lower epidermis; epidermis
fragments from near leaf margin with isodiametric cells showing distinct beading and pitting in
anticlinal walls; covering trichomes short, conical, unicellular, bicellular or elongated, uniseriate
multicellular (3-8 cells) with striated cuticle. Glandular trichomes of 2 types: either with
unicellular base with small, rounded, unicellular head 15-25 m in diameter; or with unicellular
base with enlarged, oval multicellular head 55-70 m in diameter composed of 8 radiating cells;
dorsoventral mesophyll fragments with a single palisade layer and 4-6 layers of spongy
parenchyma; yellowish crystals of menthol under the cuticle of secretory cells. Calcium oxalate
crystals absent (1, 2).
General identity tests
Macroscopic and microscopic examinations, and thin-layer chromatography (1, 2). Gas
chromatography of the steam-distilled essential oil (9).
Purity tests
Microbiological
Tests for specific microorganisms and microbial contamination limits are as described in the
WHO guidelines on quality control methods for medicinal plants (10).
Foreign organic matter
Not more than 5% stems, the diameter of which must be not more than 1.5 mm; not more than
8% leaves showing brown stains due to Puccinia menthae (2); not more than 2% other foreign
matter (2).
Total ash
Not more than 15% according to the European pharmacopoeia (2); not more than 12%
according to the African pharmacopoeia (1).
Acid-insoluble ash
Not more than 1.5% (2).
Pesticide residues
The recommended maximum limit of aldrin and dieldrin is not more than 0.05 mg/kg (2). For
other pesticides, see the European pharmacopoeia (2), and the WHO guidelines on quality
control methods for medicinal plants (10) and pesticide residues (11).
Heavy metals
For maximum limits and analysis of heavy metals, consult the WHO guidelines on quality
control methods for medicinal plants (10).
Radioactive residues
Where applicable, consult the WHO guidelines on quality control methods for medicinal plants
(10) for the analysis of radioactive isotopes.
Other purity tests
Sulfated ash, water-soluble extractive, alcohol-soluble extractive, and loss on drying tests to be
established in accordance with national requirements.
Chemical assays
Whole and cut leaves contain not less than 1.2% and 0.9% (v/w) essential oil, respectively,
determined as described in the European pharmacopoeia (2).
Major chemical constituents
The major constituent of the leaves is the essential oil (0.5-4%), which contains menthol (30-
55%) and menthone (14-32%). Menthol occurs mostly in the free alcohol form, with small
quantities as the acetate (3-5%) and valerate esters. Other monoterpenes present include
isomenthone (2-10%), 1,8-cineole (6-14%), -pinene (1.0-1.5%), -pinene (1-2%), limonene (1-
5%), neomenthol (2.5-3.5%) and menthofuran (1-9%) (2, 4, 6, 12, 13).
The structures of the major monoterpenes, menthol and menthone, are presented below.

menthol

menthone
Medicinal uses
Uses supported by clinical data
None.
Uses described in pharmacopoeias and in traditional systems of medicine
Symptomatic treatment of dyspepsia, flatulence and intestinal colic (1, 3, 14, 15).
Uses described in folk medicine, not supported by experimental or clinical data
As an emmenagogue, vermifuge, lactation enhancer and sedative. Also used to treat bronchitis,
bacillary dysentery, diabetes, diarrhoea, dysmenorrhoea, fevers, hypertension, jaundice, nausea,
pain, and respiratory and urinary tract infections (5).
Pharmacology
Experimental pharmacology
Antimicrobial activity
Extracts of Folium Menthae Piperitae have antibacterial and antiviral activity in vitro. Addition
of ground leaves to the agar medium inhibited the growth of Salmonella typhimurium,
Staphylococcus aureus and Vibrio parahaemolyticus at concentrations of 0.1-2.0% (w/v) (16).
Aqueous and ethanol extracts of the leaves reduced the number of plaques of the rinderpest virus
at concentrations of 4-8 mg/ml (17). Aqueous extracts of the leaves demonstrated activity against
the following viruses in egg and cell culture: Newcastle disease, herpes simplex, vaccinia,
Semliki Forest and West Nile (18).
Smooth muscle contraction
A 31% ethanol extract of the leaves inhibited both acetylcholine- and histamine-induced smooth
muscle contractions in guinea-pig ileum in vitro at a concentration of 10 ml/l (19, 20). The
results were similar to those obtained with 0.13 mg atropine (19). An aqueous flavonoid fraction
isolated from a leaf extract inhibited barium chloride-induced muscle contractions of guinea-pig
ileum in vitro at a concentration corresponding to 0.5 g leaves/ml (21).
Choleretic activity
Injection of a leaf infusion (0.5 ml) or a flavonoid fraction (equivalent to 3.3 g leaves/kg body
weight) increased the amount of bile acids in cannulated rats and dogs (dose 0.4 mg/kg body
weight) (21, 22). A mixture of flavonoids, isolated from the leaves, had choleretic activity in
dogs (2 mg/kg body weight) (23). Flavomentin, a flavonoid isolated from the leaves, stimulated
bile secretion and the synthesis of bile acids in dogs (2 mg/kg body weight) (24). Intragastric
administration of a 30% ethanol extract of the leaves to rats (1 ml/kg body weight) increased bile
flow by 43%. The extract did not induce sedation in mice at doses up to 10 ml/kg body weight
(20).
Anti-oedema activity
Topical application of a methanol leaf extract to mice (2.0mg/ear) inhibited ear oedema induced
by 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (25).
Analgesic activity
Intragastric administration of a 30% ethanol extract of the leaves inhibited phenylbenzoquinone-
induced writhing in mice (ED50 2.1 ml/kg body weight) (20).
Toxicology
Intragastric administration of a leaf extract (50 g leaves infused with 500 ml hot water for 10
minutes, then spray-dried) to 12 mice (4 g/kg body weight as a single dose) did not result in
central nervous system depression, toxic effects or mortality (26).
Clinical pharmacology
None.
Contraindications
No information available.
Warnings
No information available.
Precautions
General
Patients with gallstones should not use Folium Menthae Piperitae unless under medical
supervision (15).
Other precautions
No information available on precautions concerning drug interactions; drug and laboratory test
interactions; carcinogenesis, mutagenesis, impairment of fertility; teratogenic and non-
teratogenic effects in pregnancy; nursing mothers; or paediatric use. Therefore, Folium Menthae
Piperitae should not be administered during pregnancy or lactation or to children without
medical supervision.
Adverse reactions
No information available.
Dosage forms
Dried leaves (2, 3). Tincture and infusions (6). Store in a well-closed container, protected from
light (2).
Posology
(Unless otherwise indicated)
Daily dosage: 1-3 g crude drug three times daily (14, 27). Infusion: pour 150 ml hot water over
1.5-3.0 g (one tablespoon) dried leaves, steep for 10 minutes, strain and drink three times daily
between meals (6, 15, 28). Tincture: 2-3 ml (1:5, 45% ethanol) three times daily (14).
References
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Technical & Research Commission, 1985.
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A-K, 5th ed. Berlin, Springer-Verlag, 1998.
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16. Aktug SE, Karapinar M. Sensitivity of some common food-poisoning bacteria to thyme, mint
and bay leaves. International Journal of Food Microbiology, 1986, 3:349-354.
17. Alwan AH et al. Antiviral activity of some Iraqi indigenous plants. International Journal of
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18. Herrmann EC Jr, Kucera LS. Antiviral substances in plants of the mint family (Labiatae). III.
Peppermint (Mentha piperita) and other mint plants. Proceedings of the Society for Experimental
Biology and Medicine, 1967:874-878.
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Wochenschrift, 1926, 39:1418-1422, 1455-1457.
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leaves. Farmakologiia Toksikologiia, 1966, 21:735-737.
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(Kiev), 1966, 21:49-53.
25. Yasukawa K et al. Inhibitory effect of edible plant extracts on 12-Otetradecanoylphorbol-13-
acetate-induced ear edema in mice. Phytotherapy Research, 1993, 7:185-189.
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Wissenschaftliche Verlgsgesellschaft, 1989:372-374.
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