RISG Rivista Italiana Sostanze Grasse 96.3 (2019): 151-160.
The volatile composition, antioxidant and antimicrobial activity of essential oils from flowers, leaves and whole plant of Mentha Arvensis L. organically planed from the territory of Macedonia were object of this study. The essential oils from dried and powdered plant materials were isolated by hydro-distillation using Clevenger-type apparatus. The composition of three essential oils was identified by GC-MS and quantified by GC-FID. Thirty-seven components were identified and quantified in the three essential oils isolated from the flowers, leaves and whole Mentha plant. The most abundant component in all three oils was menthol with 35.64%, 32.47% and 52.53% respectively. The second most dominant component in the three essential oils was isomenthone with 20.38%, 15.97% and 8.42% respectively. All other components were in quantity less than 8%. The antioxidant activity of oils was determined against ABTS radical and total phenolic contet (TPC). The maximal values from both assays indicated the essential oil from flowers of Mentha arvensis L. as the oil with highest antioxidant activity. The antimicrobial activity of Mentha essential oils was determined against Escherichia coli and Candida albicans. Our results showed the highest antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli ATCC 25922 (29.3 mm) and the highest antifungal activity against Candida albicans ATCC 10231 (39.4 mm) inhibition zone for essential oil from the leaves of Mentha arvensis L.
