A TRADITIONAL MEDICINE PEPPERMINT
Ranjitha R
I B.Sc. CBZ ’B’
ranjithar3606@gmail.com
GFGC TUMKUR
Medicinal plants, also called medicinal herbs, have been discovered and used in traditional medicine practices since pre historic times. Plants synthesizes hundreds of chemical compounds for functions including defense against insects, fungi, diseases, and herbivorous mammals.
Peppermint (Mentha piperita) belongs to family Labiatae is a hybrid mint a cross between water mint and spearmint. Indigenous to Europe and the Middle East. The plant is now widely spread and cultivated in many regions of the world. It is occasionally found in the wild with its parent.
Although the genus Mentha comprises more than 25 species, the most common one used is peppermint. While western peppermint is derived from Mentha piperita, Chinese peppermint, or ‘bohe’ is derived from the fresh leaves of Mentha haplocalyx. Mentha piperita and M. haplocalyxare both recognized as plant sources of menthol and menthone and are among the oldest herbs used for both culinary and medicinal products. Peppermint was first described in 1753 by Carl Linnaeus from specimens that had been collected in England: he treated it as a species but it is now universally agreed to be a hybrid. It is herbaceous rhizomatous perennial plant that grows to be 30 – 90 cm tall, with smooth stems, square in cross section. The rhizomes are wide spreading, fleshy and bear fibrous roots, the leaves can be 4 – 9 cm long and 1.5 – 4 cm broad, they are dark green with reddish veins, and they have an acute apex and coarsely toothed margins, the leaves and stems are usually slightly fuzzy. The flowers are purple, 6 – 8 mm long, with a four – lobed corolla about 5 mm diameter: they are produced in whorls around the stem, forming thick, blunt spikes, flowering season lasts from mid to late summer. The chromosome number is variable, with 2n counts of 66, 72, 84 and 120 recorded. It is a fast growing plant, once it sprouts, it spreads very quickly.
Peppermint oil has a high concentration of natural pesticides, mainly pulegone in M. piperita. It is known to repel some pest insects, including mosquitos and has uses in organic gardening.
Research and health effects:
Peppermint oil is under preliminary research for its potential as a short term treatment for irritable bowel syndrome, and has supposed use in traditional medicine for minor ailments. Peppermint oil and leaves have a cooling effect when used topically for muscle pain, nerve pain, relief from itching, or as a fragrance, high oral doses of peppermint oil can cause mucosal irritation and mimic heartburn.
Uses:
Side effects: