Chemical Composition and Antimicrobial Activity of the Essential Oil of Mentha pulegium L.

The composition of the essential oil obtained from the dried flowering aerial parts of Mentha pulegium L. (Lamiaceae) was analyzed by GC and GC-MS. Fifty-five components have been identified in the essential oil of M. pulegium. The major constituents of the essential oil were pulegone (54.6 %) and menthone (15.1 %). The antimicrobial activity of M. pulegium oil was studied using the disk diffusion method and determination of minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) values. The antimicrobial activity of M. pulegium oil was concentration-dependent on Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Salmonella typhi, Pseudomonas aeroginosa, Aspergilus niger and Candida albicans.