Abstract
Mentha spicata is the commonest mint species growing wild in Greece, exhibiting great morphological and chemical variability. The oil content from different wild populations examined ranged from 0.3% to 2.2%; the most common value being ca.1%. Though commercially exploited M. spicata plants are always rich in carvone and dihydrocarvone, wild populations are very variable; four different chemotypes were distinguished within the species. These chemotypes are characterized by the high contribution of the following compounds: (1) linalool, (2) piperitone oxide or piperitenone oxide, (3) carvone-dihydrocarvone and (4) pulegone-menthone-isomenthone. This chemical variability suggests the possibility of further developing and exploiting the full potential of the species.
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Kokkini, S., Vokou, D. Mentha spicata (Lamiaceae) chemotypes growing wild in Greece. Econ Bot 43, 192–202 (1989). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02859860
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02859860