comparative study of essential oils composition of three varieties of Mentha longifolia [L.] Huds., growing in Iran

ABSTRACT

The essential oils of three wild varieties of Mentha longifolia [L.] Huds. growing in distinct geographic area of Iran [var. petiolata, var. kotschyana and var. chlorodictya], obtained by hydrodistillation, were studied. The results of quantitative and qualitative analysis by means of GC/MS, have shown that the essential oils of two varieties [var. chlorodictya and var. kotschyana] were characterized by the high concentration of piperitone oxide and piperitenone oxide, whereas the third one [var. petiolata] was rich in pulegone. Mentha chlorodictya has the higher amount of essential oil [2.6% v/w], the yield of Mentha petiolata and Mentha kotschyana was 2.1 and 1.3% v/w, respectively