Một dự án của Lê Mai A Lê Mai project · go to lemai.com.vn

Cornmint

Bạc hà ruộng

Mentha arvensis

Japanese mint, Dementholized cornmint

Lamiaceae · Lá · Leaves · Steam-distilled, then dementholized

Botanical illustration of Mentha arvensis; leaves used to extract Cornmint essential oil
Cornmint essential oil, extracted from the leaves of Mentha arvensis. Botanical illustration, Lê Mai Library.

Safety

Cardiac risk · G6PD deficiency

May be choleretic. Low risk of mucous membrane irritation.

Broad contraindications: cardiac fibrillation, G6PD deficiency. Do not apply to or near the face of infants or children.

Oral: contraindicated in cholestasis. Caution in GERD.

G6PD deficiency is an inheritable enzyme disorder common in people of Chinese, West African, Mediterranean or Middle Eastern origin. Those with it are usually advised to avoid sulfonamides, chloramphenicol, antimalarials, aspirin.

Cases of neonatal jaundice have been reported when menthol-containing umbilical stump dressings were used on G6PD-deficient infants.


Usage guidelines

Contraindications
Cardiac fibrillation, G6PD deficiency, infants
Oral use
Avoid in cholestasis or GERD

Chemistry

Volatile constituents
(−)-Menthol28.8 – 34.7 %
Menthone16.3 – 31.1 %
Isomenthone6.8 – 12.1 %
(+)-Limonene5.8 – 9.6 %
β-Pinene2.0 – 4.5 %
α-Pinene2.0 – 4.3 %
Neomenthol2.5 – 4.1 %
Piperitone0.6 – 3.8 %
Menthyl acetate1.8 – 3.4 %
3-Octanol0.4 – 2.4 %
Menthofuran0.4 – 0.6 %

Botanical source

Mentha arvensis is a perennial herb of the Northern Hemisphere temperate zone. The natural oil contains 70 to 90 percent menthol, too high for direct use.

Commercial process: freeze the crude oil to crystallize menthol, filter out about 50 percent. The remaining oil is 'dementholized cornmint', the common commercial form.

Family Lamiaceae. Cornmint oil is sometimes used as an adulterant for peppermint oil.


Quality

Cornmint oil is not adulterated, as it is not a commercially attractive target for adulteration.