Peppermint oil

Chemical properties

Liquid with distinctive peppermint odour

Chemical properties

Peppermint oil is produced by steam distillation of the flowering herb Mentha x piperita L. It is an almost colorless to pale greenish-yellow liquid with a characteristic peppermint odor.
US oils: d²⁰₂₀ 0.899–0.911; n²⁰_D 1.4590–1.4650; α²⁰_D ?32 ° to ?18 °; solubility: 1 vol in max. 3 vol of 70% ethanol at 20℃.
Oils of other origin, for example, from China and India: d²⁰₂₀ 0.898–0.918; n²⁰_D 1.4590–1.4650; α²⁰_D ?30 ° to ?14 °; solubility: 1 vol in max. 5 vol of 70% ethanol at 20℃.
As in cornmint oil, the main component of peppermint oil is (?)-menthol (36–46%)/(32–49%); it also contains (?)-menthone (15–25%)/(13–28%) and (?)-menthyl acetate (3–6.5%)/(2–8%). However, peppermint oil, unlike cornmint oil, has a higher content of (+)-menthofuran (1.5–6%)/(1–8%); data for the US oils and oils of other origin, for example, China, India.

Chemical properties

The oil is obtained by steam distillation of the fresh, overground parts of the flowering plant with yields ranging from 0.3 to 0.7%, depending on the origin of the plant. The oil may be rectified by distillation, but is neither partially nor wholly dementholized. It has a characteristic strong penetrating odor of peppermint and a pungent taste, followed by a sensation of coldness when air is drawn into the mouth.

Physical properties

Peppermint oil is a pale-yellow liquid. The physical–chemical characteristics of the oil vary depending on the source. For details on Italian, French and American peppermint oil, refer to Burdock (1997).

The Uses of Peppermint oil

peppermint oil is credited with refreshing, cooling, bactericidal, and anti-irritant properties. It is also used as a fragrance. Peppermint oil can produce allergic reactions such as hay fever, skin rashes, and irritation, especially if a dressing is applied over the oil. extracted from the leaves of the peppermint plant, menthol accounts for more than 50 percent of its content.

The Uses of Peppermint oil

fluoroquinolone antibiotic

Definition

Extractives and their physically modified derivatives. Mentha piperita, Labiatae.

Essential oil composition

The main constituents are identical in all oil varieties, but the relative ratios vary widely. Constituents include alpha- and beta-pinene, limonene, cineol, ethyl amylcarbinol, menthone, isomenthone menthofuran, menthol, neomenthol, isomenthol menthyl acetate and piperitone. The oil contains: menthone: 15 to 32%; esters (menthyl acetate) 3 to 10%; and menthol: 30.0 to 55.0%. More than 100 chemicals have been detected in the peppermint oil and their relative concentration varies between cultivars and geographic location.

Safety Profile

Moderately toxic by ingestion and intraperitoneal routes. An allergen. Mutation data reported. When heated to decomposition it emits acrid smoke and irritating fumes