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A hybrid alginate hydrogel-chitosan nanoparticle system suitable for biomedical applications was prepared. Chitosan (CS) was used as a matrix for the encapsulation of lavender ( Lavandula angustifolia ) essential oil (LEO) and Mentha ( Mentha arvensis ) essential oil (MEO). An aqueous solution of an acidic Natural Deep Eutectic Solvent (NADES), namely choline chloride/ascorbic acid in a 2:1 molar ratio, was used to achieve the acidic environment for the dissolution of chitosan and also played the role of the ionic gelator for the preparation of the chitosan nanoparticles (CS-NPs). The hydrodynamic diameter of the CS-MEO NPs was 130.7 nm, and the size of the CS-LEO NPs was 143.4 nm (as determined using Nanoparticle Tracking Analysis). The CS-NPs were incorporated into alginate hydrogels crosslinked with CaCl 2 . The hydrogels showed significant water retention capacity (>80%) even after the swollen sample was kept in the aqueous HCl solution (pH 1.2) for 4 h, indicating a good stability of the network. The hydrogels were tested (a) for their ability to absorb dietary lipids and (b) for their antimicrobial activity against Gram-positive and Gram-negative foodborne pathogens. The antimicrobial activity of the hybrid hydrogels was comparable to that of the widely used food preservative sodium benzoate 5% w / v .

Different species of aphids, responsible for severe yield losses of cereal crops including wheat, (Triticum aestivum L.) are managed by insecticides, which are harmful to organisms and the environment under field conditions. Therefore, an environment friendly aphidicidal product of plant origin is required. Mentha spicata oil was found to be rich in carvone (81.88%), but the use of its oil and carvone in crop protection is lacking due to their volatility, poor solubility, and stability. A nanoformulaton not only solves these problems but also improve the efficacy and dose of the bioactive compounds. Thus, nano-emulsions of the oil and carvone prepared were characterized, and evaluated against Rhopalosiphum maidis (corn aphid) and Sitobion avenae (wheat aphid) The average droplet size of nano-emulsions of the oil and carvone was found to be 22.1 and 41.21 nm. Nano-emulsion of carvone exhibited higher aphid mortality (LC 50  = 0.87-1.94 mg/mL) at 24 h and acetylcholinesterase inhibitory activity (IC 50  = 0.07-3.83 mg/mL) compared to the nano-emulsion of the oil (LC 50  = 2.87-2.81 mg/mL; IC 50  = 1.66-5.34 mg/mL). The repellence index (RI) in nano-emulsion of essential oil was found to be higher (84.73 and 81.72%) at the highest concentration (0.05 µL/cm 2 ) than that of carvone (77.59 and 80.98%) for R. maidis and S. avenae. Further, in silico studies also revealed the favourable binding energy (- 6.6 to - 8.5 kcal/mol) of the main compounds in the oil with acetylcholinesterase, facilitated by hydrophobic interactions and hydrogen bonding. This study suggests that the nano-emulsions of the essential oil and carvone can be explored under field conditions to establish efficacy for their utilization as aphidicidal and repellent products against aphids. In the present study, aphidicial and repellent activities of its essential oil and carvone were reported for the first time against R.maidis and S.avenae., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Mentha arvensis is an herbaceous plant commonly known as peppermint or Japanese mint. This study investigated the toxic potential and repellent efficacy of M. arvensis essential oil (MaEO) at varying concentrations (15.625-250 mg/mL) in Nauphoeta cinerea, along with its impact on biochemical parameters in N. cinerea. The potential of the major compounds as a new analgesic target was investigated using molecular docking. The essential oil was analyzed by gas Chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and the toxic potential, repellent property, and changes in lipid peroxidation (LPO) levels were evaluated as markers of oxidative stress. GC-MS results revealed that the main components were oxygenated monoterpenes such as menthol (71.31%), mentone (13.34%) and isomentone (5.35%). MaEO significantly reduced lipid peroxidation (LPO), the levels of non-protein thiols and iron(II) at the concentration of 125 mg/mL in N. cinerea. Furthermore, the major components, L-(-)-Menthol and menthone demonstrated high gastrointestinal absorption and high affinity with the target protein, suggesting possible links that contribute to the analgesic effect of MaEO., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Breast cancer is the most frequently diagnosed cancer worldwide, and the incidence rate has increased enormously over the last three decades. Rab proteins are members of the Rab GTPase superfamily. The aberrant function of these proteins leads to the development of tumors. Mentha longifolia var. asiatica and Zygophyllum arabicum have been known for their therapeutic potential for ages. The present study aimed to synthesize ZnO nanoparticles encapsulated with the extracts of M. longifolia var. asiatica and Z. arabicum and evaluating their therapeutic potential against breast cancer, targeting the Rab22A gene and its protein. UV-Vis spectrophotometer showed characteristic absorbance peaks at 295 nm and 345 nm for Z. arabicum and M. longifolia var. asiatica ZnONPs, respectively. The FTIR bands of Z. arabicum nanoparticles suggested the presence of aldehydes, alcohols, and polyols whereas bands of M. longifolia var. asiatica ZnONPs suggested the presence of carboxyl groups, hydroxyl groups, alkynes, and amines. SEM revealed the size of Z. arabicum ZnO NPs to be 25 ± 4 nm with a spherical shape as compared to nanoparticles of M. longifolia var. asiatica having a size of 35 ± 6 nm with a hexagonal shape. EDX determined the elemental composition of both particles. The cytotoxicity of both plant extracts and respective NPs was determined against the MCF-7 breast cancer cell line, which was found to be significant with an IC50 value of 51.68 μM for Z. arabicum and 88.02 μM for M. longifolia var. asiatica ZnO compared to plant extracts (64.01 μM and 107.9 μM for Z. arabicum and M. longifolia var. asiatica). The gene expression and protein levels of Rab22A were decreased in nanoparticle-treated cells as compared to the control group. The apoptotic role of synthesized nanoparticles against the MCF-7 cell line was also determined by the expression of apoptotic pathway genes and proteins (bax, caspase 3, caspase 8 and caspase 9). All samples showed significant apoptotic activity by activating intrinsic and extrinsic pathway genes. The activity of Z. arabicum was more eminent as compared to M. longifolia var. asiatica which was evident by the greater expression of studied genes and proteins as determined by Real-time qPCR and ELISA. This is the first-ever report describing the comparative analysis of the efficacy of Z. arabicum and M. longifolia var. asiatica ZnONPs against breast cancer., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright: © 2024 Bashir, Dilshad. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)

Mentha haplocalyx essential oil (MEO) has demonstrated inhibitory effects on Fusarium oxysporum. Despite its environmentally friendly properties as a natural product, the limited water solubility of MEO restricts its practical application in the field. The use of nanoemulsion can improve bioavailability and provide an eco-friendly approach to prevent and control Panax notoginseng root rot. In this study, Tween 80 and anhydrous ethanol (at a mass ratio of 3) were selected as carriers, and the ultrasonic method was utilized to produce a nanoemulsion of MEO (MNEO) with an average particle size of 26.07 nm. Compared to MTEO (MEO dissolved in an aqueous solution of 2% DMSO and 0.1% Tween 80), MNEO exhibited superior inhibition against F. oxysporum in terms of spore germination and hyphal growth. Transcriptomics and metabolomics results revealed that after MNEO treatment, the expression levels of certain genes related to glycolysis/gluconeogenesis, starch and sucrose metabolism were significantly suppressed along with the accumulation of metabolites, leading to energy metabolism disorder and growth stagnation in F. oxysporum. In contrast, the inhibitory effect from MTEO treatment was less pronounced. Furthermore, MNEO also demonstrated inhibition on meiosis, ribosome function, and ribosome biogenesis in F. oxysporum growth process. These findings suggest that MNEO possesses enhanced stability and antifungal activity, which effectively hinders F. oxysporum through inducing energy metabolism disorder, meiotic stagnation, as well as ribosome dysfunction, thus indicating its potential for development as a green pesticide for prevention and control P. notoginseng root rot caused by F.oxyosporum., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Microbes maneuver strategies to become incessant and biofilms perfectly play a role in scaling up virulence to cause long-lasting infections. The present study was designed to assess the use of an eco-friendly formulation of functionalized silver nanoparticles generated from Mentha longifolia leaf extract (MℓE) for the treatment of biofilm-producing microbes. Nanoparticles synthesized using MℓE as a reducing agent were optimized at different strengths of AgNO3 (1 mM, 2 mM, 3 mM, and 4 mM). Synthesis of M. longifolia silver nanoparticles (MℓAgNPs) was observed spectrophotometrically (450 nm) showing that MℓAgNPs (4 mM) had the highest absorbance. Various techniques e.g., Fourier transforms Infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Dynamic light scattering (DLS), zeta potential (ZP), X-ray Diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM), and transmission electron microscope (TEM) were used to characterize MℓAgNPs. In the present study, the Kirby-Bauer method revealed 4mM was the most detrimental conc. of MℓAgNPs with MIC and MBC values of 0.62 μg/mL and 1.25 μg/mL, 0.03 μg/mL and 0.078 μg/mL, and 0.07 μg/mL and 0.15 μg/mL against previously isolated and identified clinical strains of Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Staphylococcus aureus, respectively. Moreover, the MℓAgNP antibiofilm activity was examined via tissue culture plate (TCP) assay that revealed biofilm inhibition of up to 87.09%, 85.6%, 83.11%, and 75.09% against E. coli, P. aeruginosa, K. pneumonia, and S. aureus, respectively. Herbal synthesized silver nanoparticles (MℓAgNPs) tend to have excellent antibacterial and antibiofilm properties and are promising for other biomedical applications involving the extrication of irksome biofilms. For our best knowledge, it is the first study on the use of the green-synthesized silver nanoparticle MℓAgNP as an antibiofilm agent, suggesting that this material has antibiotic, therapeutic, and industrial applications., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright: © 2024 Kazmi et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)

Extraction is the first and most important step in obtaining the effective ingredients of medicinal plants. Mentha longifolia (L.) L. is of considerable economic importance as a natural raw material for the food and pharmaceutical industries. Since the effect of different extraction methods (traditional and modern methods) on the quantity, quality and antimicrobial activity of the essential oil of this plant has not been done simultaneously; the present study was designed for the first time with the aim of identifying the best extraction method in terms of these features. For this purpose, extracting the essential oil of M. longifolia with the methods of hydrodistillation with Clevenger device (HDC), steam distillation with Kaiser device (SDK), simultaneous distillation with a solvent (SDE), hydrodistillation with microwave device (HDM), pretreatment of ultrasonic waves and Clevenger (U+HDC) and supercritical fluid (SF) were performed. Chemical compounds were identified by gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometer (GC-MS). Antimicrobial activity of essential oils against various clinical microbial strains was evaluated by agar diffusion method and determination of the minimum inhibitory concentration and minimum bactericidal concentration (MIC and MBC). The results showed that the highest and lowest yields of M. longifolia leaf essential oil belonged to HDC (1.6083%) and HDM (0.3416%). The highest number of compounds belonged to SDK essential oil and was equal to 72 compounds (with a relative percentage of 87.13%) and the lowest number of compounds was related to the SF essential oil sample (7 compounds with a relative percentage of 100%). Piperitenone (25.2-41.38%), piperitenone oxide (22.02-0%), pulegone (10.81-0%) and 1,8-cineole (5-35.0%) are the dominant and main components of M. longifolia essential oil were subjected to different extraction methods. Antimicrobial activity results showed that the lowest MIC value belonged to essential oils extracted by HDM, SDK, SDE and U+HDC methods with a value of 1000 μg/mL was observed against Gram-negative bacteria Shigella dysenteriae, which was 5 times weaker than rifampin and 7 times weaker than gentamicin. Therefore, it can be concluded that in terms of efficiency of the HDC method, in terms of the percentage of compounds of the HDM method, and in terms of microbial activity, the SDK, HDM and U+HDC methods performed better., Competing Interests: NO authors have competing interests., (Copyright: © 2024 Karimnejad, Ghavam. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)

Background: Mentha longifolia L. is a perennial plant belonging to the Lamiaceae family that has a wide distribution in the world. M. longifolia has many applications in the food and pharmaceutical industries due to its terpenoid and phenolic compounds. The phytochemical profile and biological activity of plants are affected by their genetics and habitat conditions. In the present study, the content, constituents and antifungal activity of the essential oil extracted from 20 accessions of M. longifolia collected from different regions of Iran and Iraq countries were evaluated., Results: The essential oil content of the accessions varied between 1.54 ± 0.09% (in the Divandarreh accession) to 5.49 ± 0.12% (in the Khabat accession). Twenty-seven compounds were identified in the essential oils of the studied accessions, which accounted for 85.5-99.61% of the essential oil. The type and amount of dominant compounds in the essential oil were different depending on the accession. Cluster analysis of accessions based on essential oil compounds grouped them into three clusters. The first cluster included Baziyan, Boukan, Sarouchavah, Taghtagh, Darbandikhan, Isiveh and Harir. The second cluster included Khabat, Kounamasi, Soni and Mahabad, and other accessions were included in the third cluster. Significant correlations were observed between the essential oil content and components with the climatic and soil conditions of the habitats. The M. longifolia essential oil indicated antifungal activity against Fusarium solani in both methods used. In all studied accessions, the fumigation method compared to the contact method was more able to control mycelia growth. In both methods, the inhibition percentage of essential oil on mycelia growth increased with an increase in essential oil concentration. Significant correlations were found between the essential oil components and the inhibition percentage of mycelium growth., Conclusion: The studied M. longifolia accessions showed significant differences in terms of the essential oil content and components. Differences in phytochemical profile of accessions can be due to their genetic or habitat conditions. The distance of the accessions in the cluster was not in accordance with their geographical distance, which indicates the more important role of genetic factors compared to habitat conditions in separating accessions. The antifungal activity of essential oils was strongly influenced by the essential oil quality and concentration, as well as the application method. Determining and introducing the elite accession in this study can be different depending on the breeder's aims, such as essential oil content, desired chemical composition, or antifungal activity., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

This present study aims to characterize the essential oil compositions of the aerial parts of M. spicata L. and endemic M. longifolia ssp. cyprica (Heinr. Braun) Harley by using GC-FID and GC/MS analyses simultaneously. In addition, it aims to perform multivariate statistical analysis by comparing with the existing literature, emphasizing the literature published within the last two decades, conducted on both species growing within the Mediterranean Basin. The major essential oil components of M. spicata were determined as carvone (67.8%) and limonene (10.6%), while the major compounds of M. longifolia ssp. cyprica essential oil were pulegone (64.8%) and 1,8-cineole (10.0%). As a result of statistical analysis, three clades were determined for M. spicata : a carvone-rich chemotype, a carvone/ trans -carveol chemotype, and a pulegone/menthone chemotype, with the present study result belonging to the carvone-rich chemotype. Carvone was a primary determinant of chemotype, along with menthone, pulegone, and trans -carveol. In M. longifolia , the primary determinants of chemotype were identified as pulegone and menthone, with three chemotype clades being pulegone-rich, combined menthone/pulegone, and combined menthone/pulegone with caryophyllene enrichment. The primary determinants of chemotype were menthone, pulegone, and caryophyllene. The present study result belongs to pulegone-rich chemotype.

In this study, we assessed the effects of different harvest times (9 a.m., 1 p.m., and 5 p.m.) and hydrodistillation times (60, 90, and 120 min) on the yield, chemical composition, and antioxidant activity of the spearmint ( Mentha spicata L.) essential oil (EO) sourced from the Amazon region. EO yield was ≥1.55% and was not significantly influenced ( p ≥ 0.05) by the different harvest times and hydrodistillation times. Thirty-one different organic compounds were identified, of which menthol (91.56-95.68%), menthone (0.6-2.72%), and isomenthone (0.55-1.46%) were the major constituents. The highest menthol content in the EO was obtained from samples collected at 9 a.m., with a hydrodistillation time of 60-90 min, compared to other harvest and hydrodistillation times. This suggests that exposure to sun and light, which is greater at harvest times of 1 p.m. and 5 p.m., decreased the menthol content and altered the chemical composition of Mentha EO. Furthermore, the sample harvested at 9 a.m. and hydrodistilled for 60 min showed the highest antioxidant activity (61.67 equivalent mg of Trolox per g of EO), indicating that antioxidant activity is strongly affected by light exposure and the contact duration of the sample with boiling water during hydrodistillation.

A comparative study on essential oils extracted from Mentha suaveolens Ehrh. from Italy is reported. Two extraction procedures were investigated: hydrodistillation and steam distillation, carried out as a continuous and fractionated procedure. Fresh and dried plant material from two harvests was used. The hydrodistillation method yielded a higher amount of essential oil. The dried plant was significantly richer in essential oil per kg of starting plant material. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis of 112 samples showed that the essential oils belong to the piperitenone oxide-rich chemotype. In addition, piperitenone, p-cymen-8-ol, and limonene were among the most abundant compounds in the different samples. A higher amount of piperitenone oxide was obtained by hydrodistillation, while steam distillation gave a higher percentage of piperitenone and limonene. The essential oils were characterized for their anti- Candida albicans activity; higher potency was observed for the samples rich in piperitenone oxide, with MIC values ranging from 0.39 to 0.78 mg·mL -1 (0.039% and 0.078% p/v). The results of this work provide a deep insight into the methodology of essential oil extraction and the associated chemical variability of M. suaveolens Ehrh. Some of the essential oils are potent against C. albicans and could be considered for potential use in therapy.

The incorporation of fermented camel milk with natural additives possesses numerous benefits for the treatment of various pathological and metabolic conditions. The present study investigated the impact of fortification of fermented camel milk with sage or mint leaves powder (1 and 1.5%, respectively) on glucose and insulin levels, lipid profile, and liver and kidney functions in alloxan-induced diabetic rats. The gross chemical composition of sage and peppermint leaves powder was studied. The chemical composition of sage and mint extracts was performed using liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS) of sage and mint extracts. Furthermore, a total of forty-two adult normal male albino rats were included in this study, whereas one group was kept as the healthy control group ( n = 6 rats) and diabetes was induced in the remaining animals ( n = 36 rats) using alloxan injection (150 mg/kg of body weight). Among diabetic rats groups, a control group ( n = 6 rats) was kept as the diabetic control group whereas the other 5 groups (6 rats per group) of diabetic rats were fed fermented camel milk (FCM) or fermented camel milk fortified with 1 and 1.5% of sage or mint leaves powder. Interestingly, the oral administration of fermented camel milk fortified with sage or mint leaves powder, at both concentrations, caused a significant decrease in blood glucose level and lipid profile, and an increase in insulin level compared to the diabetic control and FCM groups. Among others, the best results were observed in the group of animals that received fermented camel milk fortified with 1.5% sage powder. In addition, the results revealed that the fermented camel milk fortified with sage or mint leaves powder improved the liver and kidney functions of diabetic rats. Our study concluded that the use of sage and mint leaves powder (at a ratio of 1.5%) with fermented camel milk produces functional food products with anti-diabetic activity.

Helicobacter pylori infections are highly common amongst the global population. Such infections have been shown to be the cause of gastric ulcers and stomach carcinoma and, unfortunately, most cases are asymptomatic. Standard treatment requires antibiotics such as metronidazole or azithromycin to which many strains are now resistant. Mentha species have been used as a natural treatment for gastrointestinal diseases throughout history and essential oils (EOs) derived from these plants show promising results as potential antimicrobial agents. In this study, EOs obtained from the leaves and flowers of five cultivars of Mentha × piperita and M. spicata were examined by GC-MS. The investigated mints are representatives of four chemotypes: the menthol chemotype ( M. × piperita 'Multimentha' and M. × piperita 'Swiss'), the piperitenone oxide chemotype ( M. × piperita 'Almira'), the linalool chemotype ( M. × piperita 'Granada'), and the carvone chemotype ( M. spicata 'Moroccan'). The chemical composition of EOs from mint flowers and leaves was comparable with the exception of the Swiss cultivar. Menthol was the most abundant component in the leaves while menthone was highest in flowers. The H. pylori ATCC 43504 reference strain and 10 other H. pylori clinical strains were examined for their sensitivity to the EOs in addition to their major monoterpenoid components (menthol, menthone, carvone, dihydrocarvone, linalool, 1,8-cineole, and limonene). All tested mint EOs showed inhibitory activity against both the reference H. pylori ATCC 43504 strain (MIC 15.6-31.3 mg/L) and clinical H. pylori strains (MIC 50/90 31.3-250 mg/L/62.5-500 mg/L). Among the reference monoterpenes, menthol (MIC 50/90 7.8/31.3 mg/L) and carvone (MIC 50/90 31.3/62.5 mg/L) had the highest anti- H. pylori activity, which also correlated with a higher activity of EOs containing these compounds ( M. × piperita 'Swiss' and M. spicata 'Moroccan'). A synergistic and additive interaction between the most active EOs/compounds and antibiotics possibly points to a new plant-based anti- H. pylori treatment.

Background: Mentha arvensis has been utilized in diverse traditional medicines as an antidiabetic, anticarcinogenic, antiallergic, antifungal, and antibacterial agent. In this work, we have explored the phytochemical analyses and pharmacological potential of Mentha arvensis using both in silico and in vitro approaches for drug discovery., Methods: To determine the extract with the highest potential for powerful bioactivity, ethanol was used as the solvent. The phytochemical components of the extracts were quantified using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis. The potential bioactivities of extracts and lead phytocompounds, including their antibacterial, cytotoxic, and anti-diabetic effects, were evaluated., Results: The compounds oleanolic acid, rosmarinic acid, luteolin, isoorientin, and ursolic acid have been identified through liquid chromatography mass spectrometry analysis. Based on antimicrobial research, it has been found that the Mentha arvensis extract shows potential activity against K. pneumoniae which was 13.39 ± 0.16. Mentha arvensis has demonstrated a greater degree of efficacy in inhibiting α-glucosidase, with an inhibition rate of 58.36 ± 0.12, and in inhibiting α-amylase, with an inhibition rate of 42.18 ± 0.83. The growth of HepG2 cells was observed to be significantly suppressed upon treatment with extracts obtained from Mentha arvensis. Finally, In-silico methods demonstrated that the Luteolin and Rosmarinic acid exhibit acceptable drug-like characteristics. Furthermore, Molecular docking studies further demonstrated that both compounds have strong potential to inhibit the active sites of therapeutically relevant enzymes involved in Diabetes, Bacterial infections, and Cancer., Conclusions: The results of this study suggest that the Mentha arvensis extract possesses potent pharmacological potentials, particularly in terms of antibacterial, anti-diabetic, and cytotoxic effects. Particularly, Luteolin and Rosmarinic acid were identified as the top contenders for potential bioactivity with acceptable drug-like properties., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Salinity, a severe worldwide issue, compromises the economic production of medicinal plants including mints and causes drug-yield decline. γ-Aminobutyric acid (GABA) is a tolerance-inducing signaling bio-molecule in various plant physiological processes. Pineapple mint (Mentha suaveolens Ehrh.) is a valuable medicinal herb with an exhilarating scent of citrus fruit. Piperitenone oxide is the major bioactive constituent of its essential oil, having significant demand by pharmaceutical industries. Nonetheless, modeling and optimizing the effective concentration of GABA remain within twin foci of interest. Therefore, a two factor-five level (NaCl 0-150 mM and GABA 0-2.4 mM) central composite design was conducted to model and optimize drug yield and physiological responses of M. suaveolens. Based on the design of experiments (DoE) approach, different linear, quadratic, cubic, and quartic models were assigned to the response variables. Change trends of shoot and root dry weights followed a simple linear model, whereas sophisticated models (i.e., multiple polynomial regression) were fitted to the other traits. NaCl stress inevitably reduced root and shoot dry weight, piperitenone oxide content, relative water content, pigments content, and maximum quantum yield of PSII. However, content of malondialdehyde (MDA) and total flavonoid, and DPPH radical scavenging activity were increased under salinity. Under severe NaCl stress (150 mM), the essential oil content (0.53%) was increased three times in comparison with control (0.18%). Optimization analysis demonstrated that the highest amount of essential oil (0.6%) and piperitenone oxide (81%) as a drug yield-determining component would be achievable by application of 0.1-0.2 mM GABA under 100 mM NaCl. The highest dry weight of root and shoot was predicted to be achieved at 2.4 mM GABA. Overall, extremely severe NaCl stress (i.e., more than 100 mM) in which a sharp drop in yield components value was observed seemed to be out of M. suaveolens salinity tolerance range. Hence, it is rationale to compensate the decrease of drug yield by foliar application of a dilute GABA solution (i.e., 0.1-0.2 mM) under 100 mM NaCl stress or lower levels., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Mentha longifolia is a valuable medicinal and aromatic plant that belongs to Lamiaceae family. This study looked at the antibacterial effects of M. longifolia essential oil and pulegone in edible coatings made of chitosan and alginate on the growth of Staphylococcus aureus , Listeria monocytogenes , and Escherichia coli in cheese. For this purpose, first fresh mint plant was collected from the cold region of Jiroft in Kerman province. Plant samples were dried in the shade at ambient temperature, and essential oil was prepared using Clevenger. The essential oil was analyzed by gas chromatography using mass spectrometric (GC/MS) detection. The major composition of M. longifolia oil was pulegone (26.07%), piperitone oxide (19.72%), and piperitone (11.88%). The results showed that adding M. longifolia essential oils and pulegone to edible coatings significantly reduced the growth of bacteria during storage. The bacterial population decreased by increasing the concentration of chitosan, M. longifolia , and pulegone in edible coatings. When the effects of pulegone and M. longifolia essential oils on bacteria were compared, it was found that pulegone had a stronger effect on bacterial population reduction. Coating treatments showed more antibacterial activity on E. coli than other bacteria. In general, the results of this research showed that alginate and chitosan coatings along with M. longifolia essential oil and its active ingredient pulegone had antibacterial effects against S. aureus , L. monocytogenes , and E. coli in cheese.

A poor diet, resulting in malnutrition, is a critical challenge that leads to a variety of metabolic disorders, including obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases. Mentha species are famous as therapeutic herbs and have long served as herbal medicine. Recently, the demand for its products, such as herbal drugs, medicines, and natural herbal formulations, has increased significantly. However, the available literature lacks a thorough overview of Mentha phytochemicals' effects for reducing malnutritional risks against cardiovascular diseases. In this context, we aimed to review the recent advances of Mentha phytochemicals and future challenges for reducing malnutritional risks in cardiovascular patients. Current studies indicated that Mentha species phytochemicals possess unique antimicrobial, antidiabetic, cytotoxic, and antioxidant potential, which can be used as herbal medicine directly or indirectly (such as food ingredients) and are effective in controlling and curing cardiovascular diseases. The presence of aromatic and flavor compounds of Mentha species greatly enhance the nutritional values of the food. Further interdisciplinary investigations are pivotal to explore main volatile compounds, synergistic actions of phytochemicals, organoleptic effects, and stability of Mentha sp. phytochemicals.

Mentha longifolia (L.) Huds., a wild, diploid mint species, has been developed as a model for mint genetic and genomic research to aid breeding efforts that target Verticillium wilt disease resistance and essential oil monoterpene composition. Here, we present a near-complete, chromosome-scale mint genome assembly for M. longifolia USDA accession CMEN 585. This new assembly is an update of a previously published genome draft, with dramatic improvements. A total of 42,107 protein-coding genes were annotated and placed on 12 chromosomal scaffolds. One hundred fifty-three genes contained conserved sequence domains consistent with nucleotide binding site-leucine-rich-repeat plant disease resistance genes. Homologs of genes implicated in Verticillium wilt resistance in other plant species were also identified. Multiple paralogs of genes putatively involved in p-menthane monoterpenoid biosynthesis were identified and several cases of gene clustering documented. Heterologous expression of candidate genes, purification of recombinant target proteins, and subsequent enzyme assays allowed us to identify the genes underlying the pathway that leads to the most abundant monoterpenoid volatiles. The bioinformatic and functional analyses presented here are laying the groundwork for using marker-assisted selection in improving disease resistance and essential oil traits in mints., (© The Author(s) 2022. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Genetics Society of America.)

Mint ( Mentha L., Lamiaceae) is a strongly scented herb of the family Lamiaceae that is grown mostly by clonal propagation, making it a valuable species for the study of somaclonal variation and its phenotypic consequences. The recent introduction of a few species of mint in South America, followed by a presumably rampant propagation, make this region particularly ideal for studying the extent of somaclonal genetic diversity. Hence, the objective of this work was to offer a preliminary characterization of somaclonal genetically coding diversity of the mint in the northern Andes in order to address the question of whether somaclonal variants may have emerged despite relatively recent introductions in a region where mint is not native. A total of 29 clonally propagated specimens, collected in mint export farms in the province of Antioquia, a major region for mint production in the northwest Andes of Colombia, were genotyped using RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq). SNP calling was carried out from the leaves' transcriptome profiles of each plant by combining the GATK4 and TRINITY protocols, obtaining a total of 2033 loci across 912 transcripts with a minimum read depth of 20X and 4% of missing data. Unsupervised machine learning algorithms considered the K -means, AGNES and UPGMA approaches, all of which suggested three genetic clusters for M. spicata and a unique cluster for M. × piperita . The results indicate that at least two different origins of M. spicata reached the eastern region of the Antioquia province, clonally propagated in the locality ever since for local consumption and export. One of these ancestries had more population structure, possibly due to environmental or anthropological pressures that intervened in the fragmentation of this genetic group or to a higher somaclonal mutation rate. This work offers a first step into the study of the accumulation and transmission of presumably quasi-neutral somatic mutations at coding regions in an herbaceous clonally propagated scented species such as mint, likely favored by an expected population expansion after its Andean introduction. These ad hoc hypotheses warrant further study as part of future research.

Mentha is an aromatic plant used since antiquity for its pharmaceutical virtues. The climate of Saudi Arabia favors the growth of aromatic plants including Mentha suaveolens L. The aim of this study is to analyze the volatile oils of different parts of fresh and dried Mentha suaveolens L. grown in Saudi Arabia (Aljouf area) using Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry (GC/MS) and Gas Chromatography Flame Ionization Detector (GC/FID) techniques, to recognize the effect of drying on chemical composition, then to evaluate the antioxidant and antifungal activities of different extracts. In total, 118 compounds were identified via GC/MS and GC/FID, in which carvone is the main volatile constituent (stems, leaves, whole plant 45-64%). This investigation deduces that Mentha belonged to the carvone chemotype. Then, the analysis of non-volatile constituents of fresh and dried Mentha was performed by HPLC. The main phenolic compound of fresh and dried Mentha for different parts was rosmarinic acid (ranging from 28,002.5 to 6558 µg/g). The ethanolic extract of fresh stem showed the highest antifungal activity (53% inhibition) compared with miconazole (60% inhibition) but the ethanoic extract of dry stem showed no activity. Additionally, all ethanolic extracts, whether for fresh or dry Mentha , have antioxidant activity more than 90% while the antioxidant activity of whole plant volatile oil is equal to 53.33%. This research shows that M. suaveolens L. could be applied to manufacture natural antioxidants, antifungal, and flavoring agents.

The purpose of this study was to chemically compare samples of Mentha spicata (marketing byproducts, production byproducts, and export material), cultivated in the open field and under greenhouse, using an integrated approach by HPLC/DAD and GC/MS analysis. The presence of phenolic compounds was higher in the marketing byproducts cultivated in the open field. Marketing byproducts also had the highest amount of carvone. For this reason, this byproduct was selected as a candidate for the development of natural ingredients. With the best selected material, the optimization of simultaneous high-intensity ultrasound-assisted extraction processes was proposed for the recovery of the compounds of interest. This extraction was defined by Peleg’s equation and polynomial regression analysis. Modeling showed that the factors amplitude, time, and solvent were found to be significant in the recovery process (p < 0.005). The maximum amount of compounds was obtained using 90% amplitude for 5 min and ethanol/water mixture (80:20) for extraction to simultaneously obtain phenolic and terpenoid compounds. This system obtained the highest amount of monoterpenoid and sesquiterpenoid compounds from the essential oil of M. spicata (64.93% vs. 84.55%). Thus, with an efficient and eco-friendly method, it was possible to optimize the extraction of compounds in M. spicata as a starting point for the use of its byproducts.

The aqueous extracts of leaves and shoots of Mentha arvensis were checked for their potential to biodegrade aflatoxin B1 and B2 (AFB1; 100 µg/L and AFB2; 50 µg/L) through in vitro assays. Overall, the results showed that leaf extract degrades aflatoxins more efficiently than the shoot extract. First, the pH, temperature and incubation time were optimized for maximum degradation by observing this activity at different temperatures between 25 and 60 °C, pH between 2 and 10 and incubation time from 3 to 72 h. In general, an increase in all these parameters significantly increased the percentage of biodegradation. In vitro trials on mature maize stock were performed under optimized conditions, i.e., pH 8, temperature 30 °C and an incubation period of 72 h. The leaf extract resulted in 75% and 80% biodegradation of AFB1 and AFB2, respectively. Whereas the shoot extract degraded both toxins up to 40-48%. The structural elucidation of degraded toxin products by LCMS/MS analysis showed seven degraded products of AFB1 and three of AFB2. MS/MS spectra showed that most of the products were formed by the loss of the methoxy group from the side chain of the benzene ring, the removal of the double bond in the terminal furan ring and the modification of the lactone group, indicating less toxicity compared to the parent compounds. The degraded products showed low toxicity against brine shrimps, confirming that M. arvensis leaf extract has significant potential to biodegrade aflatoxins.

Menthol is a cyclic monoterpene alcohol of the essential oils of plants of the genus Mentha , which is in demand by various industries due to its diverse sensorial and physiological properties. However, its poor water solubility and its toxic effect limit possible applications. Glycosylation offers a solution as the binding of a sugar residue to small molecules increases their water solubility and stability, renders aroma components odorless and modifies bioactivity. In order to identify plant enzymes that catalyze this reaction, a glycosyltransferase library containing 57 uridine diphosphate sugar-dependent enzymes (UGTs) was screened with (±)-menthol. The identity of the products was confirmed by mass spectrometry and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Five enzymes were able to form (±)-menthyl-β-d-glucopyranoside in whole-cell biotransformations: UGT93Y1, UGT93Y2, UGT85K11, UGT72B27 and UGT73B24. In vitro enzyme activity assays revealed highest catalytic activity for UGT93Y1 (7.6 nkat/mg) from Camellia sinensis towards menthol and its isomeric forms. Although UGT93Y2 shares 70% sequence identity with UGT93Y1, it was less efficient. Of the five enzymes, UGT93Y1 stood out because of its high in vivo and in vitro biotransformation rate. The identification of novel menthol glycosyltransferases from the tea plant opens new perspectives for the biotechnological production of menthyl glucoside.

A comparative study of volatile constituents, antioxidant activity, and molecular docking was conducted between essential oils from Mentha longifolia L., Mentha spicata L., and Origanum majorana L., widely cultivated in Madinah. The investigation of volatile oils extracted by hydrodistillation was performed using Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS). A total number of 29, 42, and 29 components were identified in M. longifolia, M. spicata, and O. majorana representing, respectively, 95.91, 94.62, and 98.42, of the total oils. Pulegone (38.42%), 1,8-cineole (15.60%), menthone (13.20%), and isopulegone (9.81%) were the dominant compounds in M. longifolia oil; carvone (35.14%), limonene (27.11%), germacrene D (4.73%), and β-caryophyllene (3.02%) were dominant in M. spicata oil; terpin-4-ol (42.47%), trans -sabinene hydrate (8.52%), γ-terpinene (7.90%), α-terpineol (7.38%), linalool (6.35%), α-terpinene (5.42%), and cis -sabinene hydrate (3.14%) were dominant in O. majorana oil. The antioxidant activity, assessed using DPPH free radical-scavenging and ABTS assays, was found to be the highest in O. majorana volatile oil, followed by M. spicata and M. longifolia , which is consistent with the differences in total phenolic content and volatile constituents identified in investigated oils. In the same context, molecular docking of the main identified volatiles on NADPH oxidase showed a higher binding affinity for cis -verbenyl acetate, followed by β-elemene and linalool, compared to the control (dextromethorphan). These results prove significant antioxidant abilities of the investigated oils, which may be considered for further analyses concerning the control of oxidative stress, as well as for their use as possible antioxidant agents in the pharmaceutical industry.

In the present study the ability of supercritical carbon dioxide (SCO 2 ) extracts of M. longifolia L. leaves to modulate low-density lipoprotein receptor (LDLR) and proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) expression was evaluated in cultured human hepatoma cell lines Huh7 and HepG2. Two SCO 2 extracts, one oil (ML-SCO 2 ) and a semisolid (MW-SCO 2 ), were subjected to detailed chemical characterization by mono- and bidimensional nuclear magnetic resonance (1D, 2D-NMR), gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (LC-MS). Chemical analysis revealed significant amounts of fatty acids, phytosterols and terpenoids. ML-SCO 2 was able to induce LDLR expression at a dose of 60 µg/mL in HuH7 and HepG2 cell lines. Furthermore, ML-SCO 2 reduced PCSK9 secretion in a concentration-dependent manner in both cell lines. Piperitone oxide, the most abundant compound of the volatile constituent of ML-SCO 2 (27% w/w ), was isolated and tested for the same targets, showing a very effective reduction of PCSK9 expression. The overall results revealed the opportunity to obtain a new nutraceutical ingredient with a high amount of phytosterols and terpenoids using the SCO 2 extraction of M. longifolia L., a very well-known botanical species used as food. Furthermore, for the first time we report the high activity of piperitone oxide in the reduction of PCSK9 expression.

The chemical composition, antioxidant activity, and antimicrobial properties of three commercially available essential oils: rosemary (REO), lavender (LEO), and mint (MEO), were determined in the current study. Our data revealed that the major components of REO, MEO, and LEO were 1,8-cineole (40.4%), menthol (40.1%), and linalool acetate (35.0%), respectively. The highest DPPH radical-scavenging activity was identified in MEO (36.85 ± 0.49%) among the investigated EOs. Regarding antimicrobial activities, we found that LEO had the strongest inhibitory efficiencies against the growth of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Candida ( C. ) tropicalis , MEO against Salmonella ( S. ) enterica , and REO against Staphylococcus ( S. ) aureus . The strongest antifungal activity was displayed by mint EO, which totally inhibited the growth of Penicillium ( P. ) expansum and P. crustosum in all concentrations; the growth of P. citrinum was completely suppressed only by the lowest MEO concentration. The lowest minimal inhibitory concentrations (MICs) against S. enterica , S. aureus , and C. krusei were assessed for MEO. In situ analysis on the bread model showed that 125 µL/L of REO exhibited the lowest mycelial growth inhibition (MGI) of P. citrinum , and 500 µL/L of MEO caused the highest MGI of P. crustosum . Our results allow us to make conclusion that the analysed EOs have promising potential for use as innovative agents in the storage of bakery products in order to extend their shelf-life.

Digas colic drops (DCD-684) is a polyherbal formulation containing decoctions of five medicinal plants namely Carum carvi L., Foeniculum vulgare Mill, Mentha arvensis L., Mentha piperita L. and Zingiber officinale Roscoe. These plants have been extensively used in traditional medicine for the treatment of various gastrointestinal diseases including abdominal colic. This study was conducted to determine the spasmolytic effect of DCD-684 (100% v/v) and its individual plant components on isolated rabbit jejunum (in vitro) and their possible mechanism of action. The effects were evaluated on spontaneous and pre-contracted tissues using KCl (80mM) and other contractile agonists including acetylcholine (0.3µM), carbamylcholine (0.3µM), serotonin (10 µM) and histamine (100µM) in the presence and absence of DCD-684. The various concentrations of DCD-684 (0.1-3% v/v) demonstrated spasmolytic effects on both spontaneous (IC50=0.75%) and KCl-induced contractions (IC 50 =1.6%), respectively. It also inhibited the contractions induced by acetylcholine (IC 50 =0.45%), carbamylcholine (IC 50 =0.95%), serotonin (IC50=0.95%) and histamine (IC 50 =0.87%). The DCD-684 exhibited synergistic effect due to its five plant components suggesting that spasmolytic cascade is probably governed by muscarinic and/or nicotinic receptors, serotonergic histaminergic, as well as calcium channel blocking mechanisms. Thereby, providing the pharmacological basis of its therapeutic use in the gastrointestinal motility disorders and related inflammatory ailments.

Medicinal plants and their derived compounds have drawn the attention of researchers due to their considerable impact on human health. Among medicinal plants, mint ( Mentha species) exhibits multiple health beneficial properties, such as prevention from cancer development and anti-obesity, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, anti-diabetic, and cardioprotective effects, as a result of its antioxidant potential, combined with low toxicity and high efficacy. Mentha species are widely used in savory dishes, food, beverages, and confectionary products. Phytochemicals derived from mint also showed anticancer activity against different types of human cancers such as cervix, lung, breast and many others. Mint essential oils show a great cytotoxicity potential, by modulating MAPK and PI3k/Akt pathways; they also induce apoptosis, suppress invasion and migration potential of cancer cells lines along with cell cycle arrest, upregulation of Bax and p53 genes, modulation of TNF, IL-6, IFN-γ, IL-8, and induction of senescence phenotype. Essential oils from mint have also been found to exert antibacterial activities against Bacillus subtilis , Streptococcus aureus , Pseudomonas aeruginosa , and many others. The current review highlights the antimicrobial role of mint-derived compounds and essential oils with a special emphasis on anticancer activities, clinical data and adverse effects displayed by such versatile plants.

Aroma plays an important role in designing innovative functional foods. This study aimed to study the influence of incorporating herbs from the Lamiaceae family (sage, mint, rosemary, oregano, thyme) on aroma compound formation and sensory properties in oat-buckwheat products. DPPH, FRAP and PCL have been used to describe possible antioxidant activity changes and reduce power of cookies after Lamiaceae Lindl. addition. The volatiles analysis by HS-SPME-GC/MS, has shown that Lamiaceae addition significantly influences the volatiles composition (29 molecules) with a predominance of molecules with a positive sensorial impression. Cookies elaborated with herbs were characterized by a greater share of monoterpenes (e.g., limonene, eucalyptol), in the volatile profile than in control cookies. These compounds' occurrence was closely correlated with the appearance of herbal odor and taste among sensory attributes in cookies with herbs addition. In contrast, a decrease of negative oil aroma and the bitter aftertaste was noted by a sensory panel. Moreover, in cookies of mint and rosemary, hexanal share decreased about 13 and 9.7-times, respectively. Considering all presented experiments, rosemary addition was the most effective in forming a positive aroma profile with high sensory acceptance and increased functional properties.

The use of nanomaterials in agriculture is a current need and could be helpful in overcoming food security risks. Brassica napus L. is the third most important crop for edible oil, having double low unsaturated fatty acids. In the present study, we investigated the effects of green synthesized Zn NPs on biochemical effects, antioxidant enzymes, nutritional quality parameters and on the fatty acid profile of rapeseed (B. napus). Plant-mediated synthesis of zinc nanoparticles (Zn NPs) was carried out using Mentha arvensis L. leaf extract followed by characterization through ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy (UV-vis), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), energy dispersive X-Ray (EDX), and X-Ray diffraction (XRD). NPs exhibited irregular shapes ranging in size from 30-70 nm and EDX analysis confirmed 96.08% of Zn in the sample. The investigated biochemical characterization (protein content, proline content, total soluble sugar (TSS), total flavonoid content (TFC), and total phenolic content (TPC) showed a substantial change on exposure to Zn NPs. A dose-dependent gradual increase was observed in the antioxidant enzymes, superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD), and catalase (CAT). Oil and moisture contents dropped significantly from the control level in the rapeseed (B. napus) varieties. However, different trends in nutritional (Zn, Na+, K+) and fatty acid profiling of B. napus have been noted. This study demonstrates that Zn NPs have the potential to improve the biochemical, nutritional, antioxidant enzymes, and fatty acid profile of B. napus varieties., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Background: Physicochemical parameters such as temperature, pH, the concentration of the AgNO 3 and ratio of reactants act synergistically to influence the reaction kinetics, molecular mechanics, enzymatic catalysis and protein conformations that aid to affect the size, shape and biochemical corona of nanoparticles. The present study was performed to investigate the influence of reaction parameters on the bio-fabrication of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) by using Mentha arvensis and to determine their potential to control the proliferation of colon cancer cells'., Methods: Plant-mediated method was used for the bio-fabrication and stabilization of AgNPs. Reaction parameters were arranged, and surface plasmon resonance (SPR) bands of AgNPs were collected by using a UV-Visible spectrophotometer. NPs were characterized structurally and optically by using SEM, AFM, EDX and DLS techniques. AgNPs and plant aqueous extract were tested against HCT116 colon cancer cells by using SRB assay, Annexin V assay and cell cycle analysis., Results: Spectrophotometric comparison of various reaction conditions manifested that 5 mM of AgNO 3 , 60 °C in an acidic pH and a mixing ratio of 1:9 of plant extract and AgNO 3 , respectively, are the optimized conditions for AgNP synthesis. Structural evaluation by SEM, AFM and particle size analysis confirmed that the NPs are <100 nm and are anisotropic, spherical, triangular and moderately dispersed in the colloidal mixture. SRB assay expressed biomass-stabilized AgNPs as effective cytotoxic particles against HCT116 colon cancer cells, and the IC 50 was measured at 1.7 µg/mL. Annexin V apoptosis assay further confirmed that the AgNPs induce apoptosis in a dose-dependent manner. Experimental evidence manifested that the AgNPs arrest cell cycle and expressed entrapment of a greater number of cells in the Sub-G1 phase, further verifying the anticancer abilities of AgNPs., Conclusion: These findings explain the synergistic effects of physicochemical parameters to optimize the phytosynthesis of biocompatible AgNPs to overcome the limitations of conventional chemotherapeutic treatments of colon cancer cells., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflicts of interest., (© 2020 Javed and Mashwani.)

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder with an unclear cause. It appears that multiple factors participate in the process of neuronal damage including oxidative stress and accumulation of the protein amyloid β (Aβ) in the brain. The search for a treatment for this disorder is essential as current medications are limited to alleviating symptoms and palliative effects. The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of mint extracts on selected mechanisms implicated in the development of AD. To enable a thorough investigation of mechanisms, including effects on β-secretase (the enzyme that leads to the formation of Aβ), on Aβ aggregation, and on oxidative stress and apoptosis pathways, a neuronal cell model, SH-SY5Y cells, was selected. Six Mentha taxa were investigated for their in vitro β-secretase (BACE) and Aβ-aggregation inhibition activities. Moreover, their neuroprotective effects on H 2 O 2 -induced oxidative stress and apoptosis in SH-SY5Y cells were evaluated through caspase activity. Real-time PCR and Western blot analysis were carried out for the two most promising extracts to determine their effects on signalling pathways in SH-SY5Y cells. All mint extracts had strong BACE inhibition activity. M. requienii extracts showed excellent inhibition of Aβ-aggregation, while other extracts showed moderate inhibition. M. diemenica and M. requienii extracts lowered caspase activity. Exposure of SH-SY5Y cells to M. diemenica extracts resulted in a decrease in the expression of pro-apoptotic protein, Bax, and an elevation in the anti-apoptotic protein, Bcl-xL, potentially mediated by down-regulation of the ASK1-JNK pathway. These results indicate that mint extracts could prevent the formation of Aβ and also could prevent their aggregation if they had already formed. M. diemenica and M. requienii extracts have potential to suppress apoptosis at the cellular level. Hence, mint extracts could provide a source of efficacious compounds for a therapeutic approach for AD.

Thermal stabilities of four major components ( l -menthol, l -menthone, piperitone, and l -menthyl acetate) of Japanese mint essential oil were evaluated via subcritical water treatment. To improve experimental throughput for measuring compound stabilities, a small-scale subcritical water treatment method using ampoule bottles was developed and employed. A mixture of the four major components was treated in subcritical water at 180-240 °C for 5-60 min, and then analyzed by gas chromatography. The results indicated that the order of thermal resistance, from strongest to weakest, was: l -menthyl acetate, l -menthol, piperitone, and l -menthone. In individual treatments of mint flavor components, subsequent conversions of l -menthyl acetate to l -menthol, l -menthol to l -menthone, l -menthone to piperitone, and piperitone to thymol were observed in individual treatments at 240 °C for 60 min. As the mass balance between piperitone and thymol was low, the hydrothermal decomposition of the components was considered to have occurred intensely during, or after the conversion. These results explained the degradation of mint essential oil components under subcritical water conditions and provided the basis for optimizing the extraction conditions of mint essential oils using subcritical water.

There is an increasing interest in developing natural methods to replace the current chemicals used for maintaining postharvest quality of citrus fruits. The essential oil antifungal activity of mint (MEO), basil (BEO), and lavender (LEO) acting as the vapor-phases was tested against Penicillium digitatum . The minimum doses with fungistatic and fungicidal effect, in vitro, acting as the vapor-phases, were set up. The minimum fungicidal dose was 300 μL for BEO and 350 μL LEO, while for MEO only minimal dose with fungistatic effect was reached. The IC50 values were calculated and used ( v / v ) for testing preservation of lemon fruits, in close space enriched in vapor oil. For this purpose, the following two independent in vivo experiments were carried out: experiment 1, inoculated lemons with P. digitatum stored without chemical treatments 7 days, at 22 ± 2 °C, at two concentrations (C1-IC50 equivalent; C2-half of C1); and experiment 2, the non-inoculated lemons kept under the same conditions and concentrations of EO vapor served to evaluate the lemon quality properties. The results showed that antifungal protective effect was provided in the order of LEO-C1 > BEO-C1 > MEO-C1 > BEO-C2 > MEO-C2 > LEO-C2. The quality indicators like weight loss, pH, and firmness were not negatively influenced.

Background: Acinetobacter baumannii is an opportunistic pathogen that causes nosocomial infections especially in patients in intensive care units (ICUs). Accordingly, the aim of our study was to detection of adeABC efllux pump encoding genes and antimicrobial effect of the essential oil of Mentha longifolia and Menthol on the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of imipenem and ciprofloxacin in clinical isolates of A. baumannii., Methods: A total of 75 clinical isolates of A. baumannii were collected. The presence of efflux pump genes was detected by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of the essential oil of Mentha longifolia and Menthol and their combined effect with antibiotics were measured by microbroth dilution method and fractional inhibitory concentration (FIC) index., Results: The frequency of adeA, adeB, and adeC genes in clinical isolates of A. baumannii were 86.7, 90.7, and 92%, respectively. When the essential oil of Mentha longifolia was combined with ciprofloxacin and imipenem, MICs decreased 4- and 8-fold, respectively. In the combination of menthol with imipenem, the resistance to imipenem was reduced from 0- to 16-fold in 90% (63/70) of the isolates., Conclusion: The presence of efflux pump genes in more than 90% of A. baumannii isolates indicates its potential role in inducing imipenem- and ciprofloxacin-resistance in this bacterium. Menthol has an antimicrobial effect as an active ingredient in Mentha longifolia. In the future, the combination of medicinal plants with antibiotics can be used as a complement in treating diseases caused by drug-resistant bacteria such as A. baumannii infections.

Unlike its aerial parts, the underground parts of Mentha have so far been studied only marginally. By examining the polyphenolic fingerprint, the antioxidant efficacy and the mutual antioxidant behaviour of mixtures of mint rhizomes, our study presents a modest contribution to addressing this gap. Firstly, we examined the composition of the mint rhizomes: Mentha × piperita cv. 'Perpeta' (MPP), M. longifolia (ML), and M. × villosa cv. 'Snežna' (MVS). Our LC-MS-DAD analysis revealed the presence of ten compounds belonging to groups of phenolic acids and flavonoids, of which the rosmarinic acid (RA) and lithospermic were most strongly represented. Secondly, we evaluated the antioxidant activity of rhizome infusions by DPPH and ABTS and on NIH/3T3 cell lines by DCFH-DA. Thirdly, we determined, examined, and explained the mutual interactions of rhizome infusions mixtures. While most of the combinations acted additive, synergy was observed in ternary infusion mixtures. The synergic action was also detected in the combination of MPP rhizome infusion and RA in the DCFH-DA test. The combinations of mint rhizomes and rosmarinic acid displayed a high dose-reduction index. This leads to beneficial dose reduction at a given antioxidant effect level in mixtures, compared to the dose of the parts used alone. So far, the pharmaceutical and food industry has not used mint rhizomes in commercial products. Hence, our study draws attention to further applications of the Mentha rhizomes as a valuable alternative source of natural antioxidants.

This review article discusses the active constituents and potential of two menthol mint oils, Mentha piperita (MPEO) and Mentha arvensis (MAEO), as natural sources for botanical pesticides. The biological activities of these menthol mint oils, which can be useful in agriculture, have been broadly researched, especially toward phytotoxic microorganisms. To a lesser extent, the insecticidal and herbicidal activities of mint EOs have also been studied. It is apparent that the prospect of using menthol mint oils in agriculture is increasing in popularity. A number of investigations showed that the in vitro efficacy of MPEO and MAEO, as well as that of their main constituent, menthol, is pronounced. The results of in vitro research are useful for choosing EOs for further investigations. However, it is clear that in situ experiments are crucial and should be more extensively developed. At the same time, known techniques are to be applied to this area and new methods should be worked out, aiming at the improvement of EOs' pesticidal efficacy and cost-effectiveness, for future implementation in agricultural pest control.

Context: Mentha longifolia L. (Lamiaceae), a traditional medicinal herb, has been highly valued for exhibiting antimicrobial, antioxidant and antispasmodic properties., Objective: For the first time, the synergetic anti-inflammatory effects of deuterium depleted water (DDW) and M. longifolia essential oils (ML) were investigated in experimental sepsis., Materials and Methods: Fifty Wistar rats were divided into 5 groups (n = 10): negative control (laparotomy), CLP, treatment groups including the combination of DDWs (15 and 30 ppm) and ML (100 mg/kg b.w) and indomethacin. At 24 h after CLP induction, lipid peroxidation (LP), glutathione (GSH), glutathione in S-transferases (GST), ferric reducing ability of plasma (FRAP), myeloperoxidase (MPO), prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), and COX-2 expression were determined in the plasma and liver tissues., Results: Compared with the CLP group, the administration of DDWs and ML significantly (p < 0.05) prevented the increase of LP, COX-2 and PGE2 levels and liver enzymes. Additionally, the decreased levels of FRAP and GSH induced by sepsis were remarkably (p < 0.05) risen by the administration of DDWs and ML in comparison to the CLP group. However, no significant (p > 0.05) differences were observed regarding GST, ALP and bilirubin levels. Our results also proved the synergistic anti-inflammatory activities of the DDWs and ML. The anti-inflammatory effects of the DDWs and ML were confirmed by histopathological studies., Discussion and Conclusions: The combination of DDWs and ML exerted synergistic anti-inflammatory activity against CLP-induced sepsis possibly through modulating oxidative stress/antioxidant parameters.

Nowadays, research concerning immunomodulatory products are of great interest, particularly in the treatment of inflammatory diseases or the prevention of infectious diseases. These activities are usually evaluated on cell cultures, by tracking different factors requiring dedicated manipulation. Evaluation of the immunomodulatory activities of essential oils and pure compounds using several technics adapted to high content analysis is described in this study. This approach allows a multiparametric evaluation on a single cell batch, in order to obtain an overall response. The developed method is based on the simultaneous evaluation of phagocytosis, production of iNOS and secretion of IL-6, induced by contact of RAW 264.7 cells with LPS. The results highlight the immunomodulatory activities of cinnamon and clove essential oils. They also provide information, particularly concerning the inhibitory activity of mint essential oil, which inhibits the LPS-induced phagocytosis of RAW 264.7 cells by 42%, at 100 μg/ml. This work presents for the first time the adaptation of high content analyses for the monitoring of immunomodulatory activities of essential oils. This protocol could be adjustable to other cell types and supplemented by the evaluation of additional parameters., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Hypertension is highly prevalent among the Lebanese adult population and is indeed the major cause of mortality in Lebanon. Traditional use of antihypertensive medicinal plants has long been practiced. The aim of this study is to document this traditional knowledge and clinically test the antihypertensive capacity of three of the most commonly used wild plant species Mentha longifolia , Viola odorata and Urtica dioica . Ethno-pharmacological data was collected by personal interviews with herbalists and traditional healers using a semi structured survey questionnaire and assessing relative frequency of citation (RFC). The clinical study was conducted by a randomized, blind, placebo-controlled trial in 29 subjects with mild hypertension distributed in four groups, three plant extract treatments and one placebo. Systolic (SBP) and diastolic blood pressures (DBP) as well as mean arterial blood pressures (MAP) were monitored at weeks 4, 8, 12 and 16 during the treatment with 300 mL/day of plant extract. Results showed that M. longifolia , U. dioica and V. odorata exhibited the highest values of RCF (0.95) followed by Allium ampeloprasum (0.94), Apium graveolens (0.92) and Crataegus azarolus (0.90). The clinical trial revealed dose- and duration-dependent significant reductions in SBP, DBP and MAP of subjects treated with M. longifolia , U. dioica or V. odorata . Our findings indicate that extracts of these plants present an effective, safe and promising potential as a phyto-therapuetical approach for the treatment of mild hypertension. More research on the phytochemistry, pharmacological effects and the underlying mechanisms is necessary.

Phenolic profiling of ten plant samples of Mentha rotundifolia (L.) Huds. collected from different bioclimatic areas of Tunisia, was for the first time carried out by using a fast ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC)-high resolution tandem mass spectrometry (HRMS/MS) method on a Q Exactive platform equipped with an electrospray ionization (ESI) source. An intraspecific, interpopulation variability was evidenced and a total of 17 polyphenolic metabolites were identified and quantified by using the UHPLC-HRESIMS/MS method, here validated for specificity, linearity, limit of detection, limit of quantitation, accuracy and precision. The quantitative method resulted sensitive at the nM level and reliable for rapid polyphenol quantification in vegetal matrices. The metabolomic study allowed us to identify a new compound, named salvianolic acid W, which was isolated and characterized mainly by NMR and MS analysis. A statistical correlation of the phenolic composition with antioxidant and anti-acetylcholinesterase activities was provided.

The v-raf murine sarcoma viral homolog B1 (BRAF) inhibitor drug vemurafenib (PLX4032) is used to treat melanoma; however, epidemiological evidence reveals that it could cause cutaneous keratoacanthomas and squamous cell carcinoma in cancer patients with the most prevalent HRAS Q61L mutation. In a two-stage skin carcinogenesis mouse model, the skin papillomas induced by 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene (DMBA)/12- O -tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA) (DT) resemble the lesions in BRAF inhibitor-treated patients. In this study, we investigated the bioactivity of Mentha aquatica var. Kenting Water Mint essential oil (KWM-EO) against PDV cells, mouse keratinocytes bearing HRAS Q61L mutation, and its effect on inhibiting papilloma formation in a two-stage skin carcinogenesis mouse model with or without PLX4032 co-treatment. Our results revealed that KWM-EO effectively attenuated cell viability, colony formation, and the invasive and migratory abilities of PDV cells. Induction of G 2 /M cell-cycle arrest and apoptosis in PDV cells was also observed. KWM-EO treatment significantly decreased the formation of cutaneous papilloma further induced by PLX4032 in DT mice (DTP). Immunohistochemistry analyses showed overexpression of keratin14 and COX-2 in DT and DTP skin were profoundly suppressed by KWM-EO treatment. This study demonstrates that KWM-EO has chemopreventive effects against PLX4032-induced cutaneous side-effects in a DMBA/TPA-induced two-stage carcinogenesis model and will be worth further exploration for possible application in melanoma patients., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Mint plants could theoretically serve as companion plants (CPs) that attract enemies of herbivores in tritrophic interactions. In order to explore the traits of mint volatiles as attractant cues for enemies of two-spotted spider mites, we performed Y-tube olfactometer assays of predatory mites, Phytoseiulus persimilis and Neoseiulus californicus, towards three mint species, apple mint, candy mint, and spearmint, as odor source. Clean candy mint and spearmint were attractive to P. persimilis, when compared with clean air and undamaged Phaseolus vulgaris plants serving as the target crop. Moreover, clean candy mint plants were even more attractive than volatiles from P. vulgaris plants damaged by spider mites. These predator responses were induced additively by candy mint volatiles plus volatiles from damaged P. vulgaris plants, as shown using both Y-tube olfactometer and open-space assay systems. However, the number of spider mite eggs consumed by P. persimilis on P. vulgaris plants did not differ in the presence compared to the absence of mint volatiles, indicating that mint volatiles affect the attraction but not the appetite of P. persimilis. Together, these findings suggest that the use of candy mint and spearmint as CPs is an ideal platform for spider mite pest management via the attraction of predatory mites.

Mentha species are well recognized for their medicinal and aromatic properties. The comprehensive metabolite profiles of nine Mentha species have been determined. The extracts of these Mentha species were also screened for antioxidant and free radical scavenging activities. Forty-seven hydrophilic and seventeen lipophilic compounds were identified and quantified from the selected Mentha species. Also, eleven phenolic compounds, riboflavin and eight carotenoids were present, and their composition and content varied among the various Mentha species. The different Mentha species exhibited a range of antioxidant potencies. Horse mint especially exhibited the strongest antioxidant capacities (1,1-diphenyl-2-picryl-hydrazyl (DPPH), hydrogen peroxide, and reducing power assay) among the nine Mentha species. A difference between different samples from the same species was not observed by multivariate analysis. A high correlation between metabolites involved in closely linked biosynthetic pathways has been indicated. The projection to latent structure method, using the partial least squares (PLS) method, was applied to predict antioxidant capacities based on the metabolite profiles of Mentha leaves. According to the PLS analysis, several carotenoid contents, such as E -β-carotene, 9 Z -β-carotene, 13 Z -β-carotene and lutein, as well as phenolic compounds, showed a positive relationship in reducing the power of Mentha extracts. Horse mint is a good candidate because of its high antioxidant efficacy among the nine Mentha species included in the study.

This research assessed the seasonal variation of the chemical composition and antibacterial and anticholinesterase activities of essential oils extracted from M. longifolia leaves. The leaves organic fractions were also investigated for their biological activities and pharmacological functions. The essential oil highest yield was recorded in the spring season. Pulegone (26.92%), 1.8 cineole (21.3 %), and L-menthone (10.66 %) were determined as its major compounds in the winter season. In the spring oil, the main components were pulegone (38.2 %) and oleic and palmitic acids (23.79 % and 15. 26 %, respectively). Oxygenated monoterpenes were predominant in the two analyzed samples. The tested oils and organic extracts exhibited promising antibacterial effects against all of the tested bacterial strains. Thanks to its richness in phenolic and flavonoid compounds, the ethyl acetate fraction (Ml EtOAcF) displayed the most active DPPH scavenging ability (IC 50 =12.64 μ g/ml) and an interesting β -carotene bleaching inhibition (IC 50 =34.75 μ g/ml) making it a potential candidate for anti-inflammatory evaluation on rats. This evaluation evidenced that M. longifolia pretreated rats showed a marked decrease in paw oedema and inflammatory cells. Additionally, a remarkable acetylcholinesterase inhibitory activity of the Ml EtOAcF (IC 50 = 12.3 μ g/ml) and essential oils were also observed suggesting their neuroprotective property against Alzheimer's disease. Moreover, it was found that its activity level was season dependent. Our investigation, therefore, clearly revealed the medicinal characteristics of M. longifolia leave indicating their potential uses for natural remedies.

Quorum sensing (QS) is a bacterial communication mechanism used to express various survival or virulence traits leading to enhanced resistance. Chromobacterium violaceum is a commonly used strain that highlights anti-QS action of bioactive substances. Here, we wanted to see if 12 selected essential oils (EO) could exert anti-QS activity. We measured the sublethal minimal QS inhibitory concentration (MQSIC) by assessing violacein production of C. violaceum along with bacterial growth. To confirm the QS disruption, we also proceed to surface bacterial observations using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). We showed that cis-cis-p- menthenolide extracted and isolated from a plant endemic to occidental Mediterranean Sea islands, Mentha suaveolens ssp. insularis , acts as an inhibitor of violacein production and biofilm formation. Measured MQSIC was much lower than the minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC): 0.10 mg·mL -1 vs. 3.00 mg·mL -1 . Moreover, disturbance of QS-related traits was confirmed by the degradation of C. violaceum biofilm matrix. There is a clear structure⁻activity relationship between cis-cis-p- menthenolide and anti-QS activity. Indeed, its isomer molecule (mintlactone) exerts a poor anti-QS action. These results indicate that inhibition of violacein production and biofilm formation by cis-cis-p- menthenolide might be related to a disruption in the QS mechanism.

Heat stress affects the yield of medicinal plants and can reduce biomass and/or metabolite production. In order to evaluate the effect of heat-induced stress on the essential oil production in Menth a x p iper ita L. var. Mitcham (Mitcham mint) and Mentha arvensis var. piperascens Malinv. ex L. H. Bailey (Japanese mint), we studied the chemical composition of the oils of the two mint species under different heat shock stresses in growth chambers. The antibacterial activity of the essential oils was also evaluated; microscopic observation (fluorescence and electron transmission) was used to assess the effect of the tested samples on bacterial growth. The results obtained shed light on the mint essential oils composition and biological activity in relation to heat stress., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Cancer is a major public health problem around the globe. This disorder is affected by alterations in multiple physiological processes, and oxidative stress has been etiologically implicated in its pathogenesis. Glioblastoma (GBM) is considered the most common and aggressive brain tumor with poor prognosis despite recent improvements in surgical, radiation, and chemotherapy-based treatment approaches. The purpose of this study was to evaluate antitumor activity from Mentha crispa essential oil (MCEO), its major constituent rotundifolone (ROT), and a series of six analogues on the human U87MG glioblastoma cell line. Cytotoxic effects of the compounds on the human U87MG-GBM cell line were assessed using in vitro cell viability and oxidative and molecular genetic assays. In addition, biosafety assessment tests were performed on cultured human blood cells. Our findings revealed that MCEO, 1,2-perillaldehyde epoxide (EPER1), and perillaldehyde (PALD) were the most cytotoxic compounds against U87MG cells, with IC50 values of 16.263, 15.087, and 14.888  μ g/mL, respectively. Further, these compounds increased the expressions of BRAF , EGFR , KRAS , NFκB1 , NFκB1A , NFκB2 , PIK3CA , PIK3R , PTEN , and TP53 genes at different degrees and decreased the expression of some genes such as AKT1 , AKT2 , FOS , and RAF1 . Finally, treatment with MCEO, EPER1, and PALD did not lead to genotoxic damage in blood cells. Taken together, our findings reveal antiproliferative potential of MCEO, its major component ROT, and its tested analogues. Some of these chemical analogues may be useful as prototypes for the development of novel chemotherapeutic agents for treating human brain cancer and/or other cancers due to their promising activities as well as nonmutagenic property and safety.

Background: The outbreak of MDR and XDR strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and increased resistance to infection in burn patients recommend the issue of infection control. In this research, we study ZOUSH herbal ointment for gene silencing of Pseudomonas aeruginosa., Methods: The herbal ZOUSH ointment was formulated by alcoholic extracts of plants Satureja khuzestaniea, Zataria multiflora, Mentha Mozaffariani Jamzad, honey, and polyurethane. The MIC and disk diffusion tests were examined by single, binary, tertiary and five compounds. Three-week-old mice were considered to be second-degree infections by Pseudomonas aeruginosa. During the interval of 5 days, cultures were done from the liver, blood, and wound by four consecutive quarters and counting of Pseudomonas aeruginosa was reported in the liver. In this study, silver sulfadiazine ointments and Akbar were used as a positive control. The gene gyrA reference was used as the control. Real-time RT-PCR results were evaluated based on Livak as the comparative Ct method., Results: The In vitro results indicated that wound infection was improved by healing wound size in the treatment groups compared to control treatment group. In this research, the changes in gene expression were evaluated by molecular technique Real-time RT-PCR. The results showed downregulation exoS, lasA, and lasB after treatment with ZOUSH ointment. SPSS Analyses showed that reduction of expressions in genes exoS, lasA and lasB after treatment with ZOUSH ointment were significantly meaningful (p < 0.05)., Conclusion: Our study showed that ZOUSH ointment has the positive effect for gene silencing Pseudomonas aeruginosa in the mouse model with the second-degree burn. The positive effects decreased in the number of bacteria by reducing the expression of virulence bacteria genes as exoS, lasA and lasB and improvement of wound healing.

Stress can lead to inflammation, accelerated aging, and some chronic diseases condition. Mentha arvensis (MA) is a traditional medicine having antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities. The present study investigated the anti-stress role of MA and fermented MA (FMA) extract in immobilized rats. We studied the lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced inflammation in RAW 264.7 cells and rats were immobilized for 2 h per day for 14 days using a restraining cage. MA (100 mg/kg) and FMA (100 mg/kg) were orally administered to rats 1 h prior to immobilization. Using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis, we determined the rosmarinic acid content of MA and FMA. The generation of malondialdehyde (MDA) and nitric oxide (NO) in RAW 246.7 cells were suppressed by both MA and FMA. In rats, MA and FMA notably improved the body weight, daily food intake, and duodenum histology. MDA and NO level were gradually decreased by MA and FMA treatment. MA and FMA significantly controlled the stress-related hormones by decreasing corticosterone and β-endorphin and increasing serotonin level. Moreover, protein expression levels of mitogen activated protein kinases (MAPK) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) were markedly downregulated by MA and FMA. Taken together, MA and FMA could ameliorate immobilized-stress by reducing oxidative stress, regulating stress-related hormones, and MAPK/COX-2 signaling pathways in rats. Particularly, FMA has shown greater anti-stress activities than MA., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest.