ABSTRACT
The mint oil obtained from Mentha arvensis L. is an important ingredient of ointments, pain balms, lozenges, syrups and various cosmetic preparations. Using half sib progeny selection method, CSIR-CIMAP, Lucknow, India has developed a new chemotype (MAC/BS-11) of Mentha arvensis. Essential oil extracted from the aerial shoots of this chemotype (MaP) is rich in pulegone. Here, we conducted a blind pharmacological study using MaP to evaluate its therapeutic profile against skin inflammation using in vivo and in silico assays. Results of this study conclude that MaP significantly (P <0.05) reduced the skin thickness, ear weight and pro-inflammatory cytokines production in 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA)-induced mouse ear inflammation model. In vivo toxicity profiles indicate that it is safe for topical application on skin. Molecular docking study also revealed its strong binding affinity to the active site of the pro-inflammatory proteins. These findings suggest that MaP, a pulegone rich essential oil of Mentha arvensis, could be a potential therapeutic candidate for the treatment of skin inflammation.