Peppermint Leaf

Peppermint (Mentha piperita, also known as M. balsamea Willd), is a hybrid mint, a cross between watermint and
spearmint. The plant, indigenous to Europe and the Middle East, is now widespread in cultivation in many regions
of the world. It is found wild occasionally with its parent species. The concentrated oil of peppermint has a high
menthol content. The oil also contains menthone and menthyl esters, particularly menthyl acetate. Dried
peppermint typically has volatile oil containing menthol, menthone , menthyl acetate ,menthofuran and 1,8-cineol.
Peppermint oil also contains small amounts of many additional compounds including limonene, pulegone,
caryophyllene and pinene. According to the German Commission E monographs, peppermint oil (as well as
peppermint leaf) has been used internally as an antispasmodic (upper gastrointestinal tract and bile ducts) and to
treat irritable bowel syndrome, catarrh of the respiratory tract, and inflammation of the oral mucosa. Externally,
peppermint oil has been used for myalgia and neuralgia. According to Commission E, peppermint oil may also act
as a carminative, cholagogue, antibacterial, and secretolytic, and it has a cooling action. Enteric-coated
peppermint oil capsules (Colpermin) have been used as an orally administered antispasmodic premedication in
colonoscopy.