М’ята болотяна

Pennyroyal (Mentha pulegium) is a species of flowering plant in the mint family, Lamiaceae, native to Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East. It is also called pennyrile, mosquito plant and pudding grass. Crushed leaves give off a very strong fragrance similar to spearmint. The plant is an annual to perennial with creeping or erect branched stems to about 40 cm in height. The leaves grow in opposite pairs and are narrowly oval, 2-3 cm long and 1 cm wide. European pennyroyal is related to an American species, Hedeoma pulegioides.

The native range is thought to be around the eastern Mediterranean, where the plant grows in damp meadows, around pools and in stream margins. It is very widely established around the world. In many places it is considered a troublesome weed of agriculture.

Pulegone is the main component of the essential oil, at 74.81% in one analysis of the aerial parts, followed by menthone (13.01%) and piperitone (3.82%). A Moroccan leaf oil obtained by hydrodistillation was instead led by piperitone (35.56%), with pulegone at 6.452%. The proportions of these compounds differ from one region to another, which studies attribute to climate, soil and altitude, and also to harvest period, plant part and extraction method. Pulegone is a ketone and a monoterpenoid. Pulegone is a colorless oil with a pleasant odor similar to pennyroyal, peppermint, and camphor. Pulegone comprises 75% of the oil pressed from pennyroyal, which is cultivated for that purpose. Hydrogenation of pulegone gives menthone. Pulegone is also a precursor to menthofuran, another flavorant.

Pennyroyal is a traditional folk remedy, emmenagogue, abortifacient and culinary herb, but it is toxic to the liver and has caused some deaths. The most concentrated and toxic form of the plant is the oil. Ingestion of as little as 10 mL of the oil was associated with moderate to severe hepatic toxicity. When pulegone is ingested, the liver breaks it down into several toxic metabolites. Among the identified metabolites are menthofuran, piperitenone, piperitone and menthone. As of October 2018, the FDA withdrew authorization for pulegone as a synthetic flavoring substance in food, while naturally occurring pulegone can continue to be used.

Explore all seven extraits in the Discovery Set.

—

Related: Acronychia Pedunculata · Adoxal · Agave · Algae · Aloe Vera · Aromatic Notes · Asparagus · Avocado