Background: Mentha piperita L. essential oils have different antibacterial activity. In the present study, we investigated the effect of &gamma–irradiation on the antibacterial activities of Mentha piperita L. essential oils in vitro and in vivo systems. Materials and Methods: The aerial parts of peppermint were irradiated in a cobalt60 source with 0, 10 and 25 kGy absorbed doses. Then, t...

Peppermint with antiseptic and known healing properties is a plant from the Labiatae family. In this study, we analyzed the chemical composition of essential oil from the flowering aerial part of peppermint by GC and GC/MS. Its antimicrobial activity was evaluated against bacteria, fungi and yeast by micro broth dilution assay. The fractional inhibitory concentration (FIC) and FIC Index (FICI) ...

Previous studies have shown that the monoterpene ketone l-[G-(3)H]-menthone is reduced to the epimeric alcohols l-menthol and d-neomenthol in leaf discs of flowering peppermint (Mentha piperita L.), and that a portion of the menthol is converted to menthyl acetate while the bulk of the neomenthol is transformed to neomenthyl-beta-d-glucoside (Croteau, Martinkus 1979 Plant Physiol 64: 169-175). ...

Variations in quantity and quality of essential oil (EO) from the aerial parts of cultivated Mentha piperita were determined. The EO of air-dried sample was obtained by a hydrodistillation method and analyzed by a gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS). The antifungal activity of the EO was investigated by broth microdilution methods as recommended by Clinical and Laboratory Standards Ins...

A hyaline sterile fungus forming epiphyllous mycelial nets was isolated from meristem cultures of Mentha piperita. Histological studies indicated that the culture isolate is able to colonize stems and leaves with no damage to the host plant. In vitro-grown peppermint plants displayed enhanced vegetative growth when infected by the fungus, with mycelium extending from green tissues to growing ro...

The precursor of all monoterpenes is the C10 acyclic intermediate geranyl diphosphate (GPP), which is formed from the C5 compounds isopentenyl diphosphate and dimethylallyl diphosphate by GPP synthase (GPPS). We have discovered that Antirrhinum majus (snapdragon) and Clarkia breweri, two species whose floral scent is rich in monoterpenes, both possess a heterodimeric GPPS like that previously r...

Chrpová D., Kouřimská L., Gordon M.H., Heřmanová V., Roubíčková I., Pánek J. (2010): Antioxidant activity of selected phenols and herbs used in diets for medical conditions. Czech J. Food Sci., 28: 317–325. The antioxidant capacity of some herbs used in dietology practice was determined by the DPPH free radical method, which was calibrated with ascorbic acid. Partially hydrophilic phenolic comp...