ABSTRACT
Mentha piperita is widely used as medicinal plant. The herb has a strong, pepper-like, pungent odor, hence the specific name ‘piperita’. Peppermint is commonly used to soothe or treat symptoms of the gastrointestinal tract such as nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, indigestion, irritable bowel, and bloating. The plant is described to have a wide range of properties including anti-oxidant, antitumor, anti-allergic, adstringent, antiseptic, antipruritic, anti-catarrhal, carminative, antiinflammatory, anti-spasmodic, diaphoretic, anti-emetic, nervine, antimicrobial, analgesic, stimulant, stomachic and rubefacient. Peppermint has a high menthol content, and is often used as a flavoring agent in tea, ice cream, confectionery, chewing gum and toothpaste. The essential oil of peppermint, obtained by steam-distillation of the leaves, has many pharmaceutical applications. Peppermint oil is a colorless to pale greenish-yellow, clear mobile liquid which has a fresh, minty, cooling, green and sweetish odor, with variations depending on its origin.
