Study on morphology, distillation process, chemical compositions, and biological activities of Mentha arvensis L. var. javanica (Blume) Hook. f essential oil

Background: Mentha arvensis L., also known as Mentha arvensis L. var. javanica (Blume) Hook. f, is a commonly used culinary plant in Vietnam, yet the scientific exploration of its biological activities remains relatively uncharted. This study seeks to address this gap by systematically examining the morphology of the plant. It then meticulously investigates optimal parameters for the distillation process, examining the chemical compositions, and evaluating the potential biological activities of the extracted essential oil from this particular plant. Methods: In this study, the anatomy of the plant was first examined by alum-green iodine staining method, followed by the extraction of essential oils by steam distillation. The subsequent phase involved the determination of chemical compositions by Gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy (GC-MS), free radical resistance by 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) choice and antibacterial by paper plate method. Significant findings: The GC-MS results revealed the predominant chemical components in the essential oil, with limonene constituting the highest proportion at 74.16 %. Other notable constituents included carvotanacetone (6.79 %), fl-pinene (1.13 %), isocaryophillene (0.26 %), and menthol (0.17 %). In term of antimicrobial activity, the essential oil exhibited varying degrees of inhibition against different microorganisms. The strongest inhibitory effect was observed against Aspergillus niger (40.0 mm +/- 0.3), followed by Listeria innocua (12.0 mm +/- 0.1), Escherichia coli (11.0 mm +/- 0.2), Enterococcus faecalis (11.0 mm +/- 0.1), Bacillus cereus (11.0 +/- 0.1), Staphylococcus aureus (9.0 mm +/- 0.2), Bacillus subtilis (9.0 mm +/- 0.3). The weakest resistance was observed against Pseudomonas aeruginosa (6.0 mm +/- 0.0). Additionally, the essential oil displayed a promising level of antioxidant activity, as indicated by its IC50 = 244.3 +/- 0.32 mu g/mL in the free radical scavenging assay. These findings hold significant promise for potential applications of the Mentha tree, particularly in limonene extraction, cosmetics, and pharmaceuticals.

Automated summary

This study systematically examined the morphology of Mentha arvensis L., a commonly used culinary plant in Vietnam, and investigated the optimal parameters for distillation, chemical compositions, and potential biological activities of its extracted essential oil. The results revealed that limonene is the predominant chemical component in the essential oil. Additionally, the essential oil exhibited antioxidant and antibacterial activities. These findings hold significant promise for the potential applications of Mentha arvensis L. in the extraction of limonene, cosmetics, and pharmaceuticals.