French spearmint was imported into Vietnam in 1996 and cultivated in Ha Noi. In the first year, it was cultivated by seeds and since the second year it has been planted by stolons. Every year, planting is done in February – March and the crop reaches full blooming in June. The Russian cultivar is also cultivated in Sa Pa (Lao Cai province). Both samples of Mentha spicata essential oil were analyzed by GC/RI, GC/MS and 13C-NMR. In total, 39 compounds have been identified, 28 in the first sample, 31 in the second.
Plants ; Mentha spicata ; chemistry ; oils

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to verify the effect of aroma inhalation on nursing students' stress responses and anxiety before their first clinical practice. METHOD: Data were collected during the period from March 5 to March 10, 2007 at K College in a province. There were seventy eight subjects, 35 for the experimental group and 38 for the control group. Aroma oils used were lavender, peppermint and rosemary. Before and after the treatment, the severity of stress and anxiety were evaluated by VAS and a questionnaire. Data were analyzed by descriptive statistics, t-test and chi2-test with the SPSS program. RESULT: The score of subjective stress (VAS) decreased significantly after aroma inhalation (p=.000), but status anxiety was not significantly different between the two groups (p=.649). CONCLUSION: Aroma inhalation can be a useful intervention to reduce nursing student's stress before their first clinical practice.
Anxiety* ; Aromatherapy ; Inhalation* ; Lavandula ; Mentha piperita ; Nursing* ; Oils ; Surveys and Questionnaires

Introduction: Folkloric claims have surrounded essential oils, including their enhancement of learning and memory through inhalational exposure. Few studies in humans have shown a benefit in cognition, albeit incremental. However, this benefit may not be entirely attributable to the essential oil aroma but may be confounded by psychological associations. We investigated rosemary, peppermint, lemon, and coffee aromas in a learning and memory model of Drosophila melanogaster to eliminate this confounder. Methods: We screened for concentrations of the four treatments that are non-stimulatory for altered locomotory behavior in the flies. At these concentrations, we determined if they were chemoneutral (i.e., neither chemoattractant nor chemorepellent) to the flies. Learning and memory of the flies exposed to these aromas were determined using an Aversive Phototaxis Suppression (APS) assay. Results: The aromas of rosemary, peppermint, and lemon that did not elicit altered mobility in the flies were from dilute essential oil solutions that ranged from 0.2 to 0.5% v/v; whereas for the aroma in coffee, it was at a higher concentration of 7.5% m/v. At these concentrations, the aromas used were found to be chemoneutral towards the flies. We observed no improvement in both learning and memory in the four aromas tested. While a significant reduction (p < 0.05) in learning was observed when flies were treated with the aromas of rosemary, peppermint, and coffee, a significant reduction (p < 0.05) in memory was only observed in the peppermint aroma treatment. Conclusion This study demonstrated that in the absence of psychological association, the four aromas do not enhance learning and memory
Drosophila melanogaster ; Learning ; Memory ; Rosmarinus ; Mentha piperita ; Citrus ; Coffea

This experiment was undertaken to screen the acaricidal effects of herb essential oils (pennyroyal, ylang ylang, citronella, lemon grass, tea tree, and rosemary) at different doses (0.1, 0.05, 0.025, 0.0125, and 0.00625 microliter/cm2) and exposure times (5, 10, 20, 20, 30 and 60 min) on house dust mites Dermatophgoides farinae and D. pteronyssinus. The most effective acaricidal components of pennyroyal (Mentha pulegium) were analyzed using a gas chromatography-mass spectrometer (GC-MS). Of these essential oils, the most effective was pennyroyal, which is composed essentially of pulegone (> 99%), at a dose of 0.025 microliter/cm2, which at an exposure time of 5 min killed more than 98% of house dust mites. In the pennyroyal fumigation test, the closed method was more effective than the open method and maximum acaricidal effect was 100% at 0.025 microliter/cm2, 60 min. The results show that herb essential oils, in particular, pennyroyal was proved to have potent acaricidal activity
Time Factors ; Plant Oils/chemistry/*pharmacology ; Oils, Volatile/chemistry/*pharmacology ; Mentha pulegium/*chemistry ; Insecticides/pharmacology ; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug ; Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus/*drug effects ; Dermatophagoides farinae/*drug effects ; Animals

OBJECTIVETo investigate the constituents of anti-inflammatory and hemostatic active sites of Mentha spicata.

METHODChemical constituents were separated by solvent method and chromatography and identified by physicochemical properties and spectroscopic methods.

RESULTThe structures were identified as ursane I, 3-methoxy-4-methylbenzaldehyde II, veratric acid III, 5-hydroxy-3',4',6,7-tetramethoxyflavone IV, diosmetin(V), thymonin VI, daucosterol VII.

CONCLUSIONAmong them, compounds I, II, III were first obtained from M. genus, IV, VI were separated from M. spicta for the first time.

Flavonoids ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Mentha spicata ; chemistry ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Vanillic Acid ; analogs & derivatives ; chemistry ; isolation & purification

Classification of the genus mentha on the basic of morphology is very difficult since their biodiversity and the genus mentha is quite easy to turn into morphological variation, or develop to hybrid species. These species chemical composition of essential oils have been intensively studied. On the basic of the major constituents, the following chemotypes of wild mints from Vietnam were found: piperitone oxide -pulegone, pulegone - menthol, menthylacetate - menthol, menthol - isomenthone, dihydrocarvylacetate - carvone - limonene, limonene - carvone - dihydrocarvone. It is necessary now for governmental offices and people from country side and high mountain to take an active role in the conservation of this genus for their economical and ecological reasons.
Mentha ; Species Specificity

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Gastrointestinal peristalsis may hinder inspection of the gastrointestinal track or its treatment during endoscopy. Antispasmodic agents such as hyoscine-N-butylbromide are commonly administered before endoscopy for alleviating peristalsis, although it causes unwanted complications. Peppermint oil (PMO) has a spasmolytic effect on viscera and it has been used as an adjunctive remedy for some disorders. We evaluated the antispasmodic effect of PMO solution during gastroscopy, and we determined if there are any adverse effects. METHODS: 1.6% PMO solution was sprayed on the antrum of the examinees (n=40) during gastroscopy. Observation was performed 5 cm ahead of the pyloric ring to count the peristaltic waves for 3 minutes before and after spraying PMO. The intensity of peristalsis was graded from 0 (none) to 4 (severe), and the pulse rate of all the examinees was recorded every minute. RESULTS: The number of peristaltic contractions decreased after PMO spraying from 7.02+/-2.25 to 3.17+/-2.57 times/3 minutes (p<0.01). The peristaltic intensity also decreased from 3.15+/-1.18 to 1.34+/- \0.95 (p<0.01) with a difference of 1.80+/-1.29. On observing the examinees' pulse rates, using PMO did not induce tachycardia. No adverse effect during and after the investigation with PMO solution was reported. CONCLUSIONS: PMO showed a significant antispasmodic effect, and it reduced the number of peristaltic contractions and the intensity of gastric peristalsis. It also did not have any significant side effects. PMO solution may be used as an effective antispasmodic agent during gastroscopy.
Contracts ; Endoscopy ; Gastroscopy ; Heart Rate ; Mentha piperita ; Parasympatholytics ; Peristalsis ; Plant Oils ; Tachycardia ; Track and Field ; Viscera

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of aroma oil inhalation using peppermint and bergamot on nausea vomiting and anorexia in cancer patients receiving chemotherapy. METHOD: Study subjects were 30 patients who had experienced nausea and vomiting when they had been hospitalized in K university hospital located in D city after receiving more than two Cisplatin combination chemotherapy treatments. Among them 15 patients were in the experimental group doing aroma oil inhalation and the other 15 patients were in the control group without aroma oil inhalation. The data were collected from February 1, 2002 to May 17, 2002. The data were analyzed with SPSS WIN 10.0 program using frequency, percentage, chi-square-test, t-test, Repeated Measures ANOVA. RESULTS: 1) The degree of nausea and vomiting in the experimental group with aroma oil inhalation using peppermint and bergamot were significantly lower than that of the control group. 2) The degree of anorexia in the experimental group with aroma oil inhalation using peppermint and bergamot were significantly lower than that of the control group. CONCLUSION: aroma oil inhalation was effective for relieving patients' nausea vomiting and anorexia receiving chemotherapy. Therefore, it is proposed that aroma oil inhalation should be applied as a supportive nursing arbitration method to relieve patients' nausea vomiting and anorexia who are receiving chemotherapy.
Anorexia* ; Cisplatin ; Drug Therapy* ; Drug Therapy, Combination ; Humans ; Inhalation* ; Mentha piperita ; Nausea* ; Negotiating ; Nursing ; Vomiting*

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of aroma oil inhalation using peppermint and bergamot on nausea vomiting and anorexia in cancer patients receiving chemotherapy. METHOD: Study subjects were 30 patients who had experienced nausea and vomiting when they had been hospitalized in K university hospital located in D city after receiving more than two Cisplatin combination chemotherapy treatments. Among them 15 patients were in the experimental group doing aroma oil inhalation and the other 15 patients were in the control group without aroma oil inhalation. The data were collected from February 1, 2002 to May 17, 2002. The data were analyzed with SPSS WIN 10.0 program using frequency, percentage, chi-square-test, t-test, Repeated Measures ANOVA. RESULTS: 1) The degree of nausea and vomiting in the experimental group with aroma oil inhalation using peppermint and bergamot were significantly lower than that of the control group. 2) The degree of anorexia in the experimental group with aroma oil inhalation using peppermint and bergamot were significantly lower than that of the control group. CONCLUSION: aroma oil inhalation was effective for relieving patients' nausea vomiting and anorexia receiving chemotherapy. Therefore, it is proposed that aroma oil inhalation should be applied as a supportive nursing arbitration method to relieve patients' nausea vomiting and anorexia who are receiving chemotherapy.
Anorexia* ; Cisplatin ; Drug Therapy* ; Drug Therapy, Combination ; Humans ; Inhalation* ; Mentha piperita ; Nausea* ; Negotiating ; Nursing ; Vomiting*

PURPOSE: The purpose was to test the effects of self-hand massage with aroma oil on daily cigarette use, smoking craving, and depression of female high school student smokers who are attempting to quit smoking. METHOD: A convenience sampling of a non-equivalent control group time series was used. Female high school student smokers were assigned either to smoking cessation lecture only or to an intervention that involved a smoking cessation lecture and self-hand massage with aroma oil for 4 weeks. Lavender, Peppermint, and Bergamotte essence oils were used for massage. RESULT: There was a significant change in daily cigarette use and depression between the groups at three different times. CONCLUSION: It is promising that self-hand massage with aroma oil can be an effective adjunctive to decrease daily cigarette use and depression of female high school student smokers who are attempting to quit smoking.
Depression* ; Female* ; Humans ; Lavandula ; Massage* ; Mentha piperita ; Oils ; Smoke* ; Smoking Cessation ; Smoking* ; Tobacco Products*