Cornmint oil

Chemical properties

Cornmint oil, Japanese mint oil is produced by steamdistillation of the flowering herb Mentha arvensis var. piperascens Malinv. The crude oil contains up to 80% (?)-menthol, which can be isolated by crystallization at low temperature.
The residual dementholized oil is a colorless to yellow liquid with a characteristic minty odor. Dementholized oil (“DMO”) still contains about 33–45% (?)-menthol; (?)-menthone and (+)-isomenthone (25–40% together) are other major components.

Chemical properties

The oil is steam distilled from the herb of Mentha arvensis L. immediately prior to the inflorescence of the plant. It is known in the United States as mint oil or cornmint oil, while it is quite commonly called peppermint oil in other parts of the world. The latter term is definitely wrong and misleading. Only the plant Mentha piperita yields true peppermint oil.

Physical properties

Colorless to pale yellow clear liquid; minty herbal fresh aroma.

Occurrence

Found in the plant Mentha arvensis var. piperascens Holmes (Fam. Labiatae) (Gildemeister & Hoffman, 1961; Guenther, 1949).

Preparation

By steam distillation of the dried plant of M. arvensis var. piperascens Holmes (Guenther, 1949).

Definition

Extractives and their physically modified derivatives. Mentha arvensis, var. piperascens, Labiatae.