Indian Medicinal Plants An Illustrated Dictionary

M
408 Mentha aquatica Linn.
Aerial parts gave umbelactone, betaamyrin,
ursolic acid, oleanolic acid,
sitosterol and its glucoside.
Mentha aquatica Linn.
Family ◮ Labiatae; Lamiaceae.
Habitat ◮
gardens.
Cultivated in Indian
English ◮ Water Mint, Wild Mint.
Unani ◮ Pudinaa Nahari.
Action ◮ Leaf—stimulant, astringent.
Used for diarrhoea and
dysmenorrhoea.
The essential oil is composed of
40–50% menthofuran, with menthol,
methyl acetate, pulegone among other
constituents.
Mentha arvensis
Linn. var. piperascens Holmes.
Family ◮ Labiatae; Lamiaceae.
Habitat ◮ Cultivated in Jammu and
Kashmir.
English ◮ Japanese Mint.
Unani ◮ Naanaa.
Action ◮ Carminative, cholagogue,
expectorant, antibacterial,
antifungal.
Key application ◮ Mint oil—
internally for flatulence, functional
gastrointestinal and gallbladder
disorders; catarrhs of the upper
respiratory tract. Externally, for
myalgia and neuralgia. (German
Commission E.)
Major components of the essential
oil are menthol (up to 95%) and menthone.
Others are alpha-and betapinene,
alpha-thujene, l-limonene,
beta-phellandrene, furfural, methylcyclohexanone
and camphene. The
essential oil possesses both antibacterial
and antifungal properties.
The leaves show anti-implantation
effect. Seeds showed abortifacient activity
(29%) in albino rats with marked
malformations in neonates where pregnancy
was not terminated.
Mentha longifolia (Linn.) Huds.
Synonym ◮ M. sylvestris Linn.
Family ◮ Labiatae; Lamiaceae.
Habitat ◮ Native to Europe and Asia;
cultivated in Kashmir, Maharashtra,
Uttar Pradesh and Punjab.
English ◮ English Horsemint.
Unani ◮ Pudinaa-Barri, Jangali
Pudinaa.
Action ◮ Leaf and flowering top—
carminative, stimulant, antiseptic,
febrifuge. Used for digestive
disorders and headaches. Essential
oil—antibacterial.
Chiefcomponentsofthevolatileoil
are 1,8-cineole 28.8, piperitone 13.9, cispiperitone
oxide 15.4 and piperitenone
13.8%. The aerial parts contain flavonoids—3
′ -hydroxy-4 ′ ,5,6,7-tetramethoxyflavone,hesperetin-7-rutinoside,
luteolin, ursolic acid and betasitosterol.
The essential oil acts as
a CNS depressant and has somnifacient
properties. Phenolic extract showed