ABSTRACT
Spearmint oil is the essential oil obtained from the flowering aerial parts and leaves of the spearmint, Mentha spicata L. Mentha spicata L. is an herbaceous creeping rhizomatous perennial plant growing 30-100 centimeter (cm) tall with a strong aromatic odor. Its leaves have serrated margins and pointed tips, which explains the ‘spear’ in the name spearmint. Spearmint essential oil, obtained by distillation of aerial flowering parts and the leaves of Mentha spicata L., is rich in carvone and presents a characteristic spearmint odor. Spearmint oil is a colorless to pale yellow clear mobile liquid, which has a fresh herbal, minty soft aromatic odor. The yield of essential oil from the leaves of Mentha spicata L. generally varies from 0.3 to 1.8 per cent, depending on the dryness of the spearmint leaves used.
