title: Multidisciplinary Approach to Determine the Optimal Time and Period for Extracting the Essential Oil from Mentha suaveolens Ehrh.
abstract: A comprehensive study on essential oils (EOs) extracted from some Mentha suaveolens L. samples, collected in the countryside of Tarquinia, is reported. In this study, the procedure for essential oil preparation, in terms of harvesting and extraction time, was analyzed in detail for the first time. The GC/MS analysis, carried out on 18 samples, revealed that piperitenone oxide (PO), the main essential oils' chemical constituent, is primarily responsible for the related antifungal activity. Nevertheless, EOs with lower PO content indicate that other chemicals, such as para-cymenene, may participate in exerting the EOs' antifungal effect. Furthermore, the bacterial reverse mutation assay highlighted lack of mutagenic effect in all tested samples. Analysis of the results indicated that for higher activity, the essential oils should be produced with 3 h maximum hydrodistillation, regardless of the harvesting time. Differently, the maximum essential oil yield can be obtained in August and the highest piperitenone oxide percentage is obtainable in July.
authors.affiliation: Department of Drug Chemistry and Technology, "Sapienza" University, P.le Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy. stefania.garzoli@uniroma1.it.
authors.forename: Stefania
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Garzoli
authors.affiliation: Rome Center for Molecular Design, Department of Drug Chemistry and Technology, "Sapienza" University, P.le Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy. adele.pirolli@uniroma1.it.
authors.forename: Adele
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pirolli
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, "Sapienza" University, P.le Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy. vavala.elisabetta@libero.it.
authors.forename: Elisabetta
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Vavala
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology and Pharmacology "Vittorio Erspamer", "Sapienza" University, P.le Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy. antonella.disotto@uniroma1.it.
authors.forename: Antonella
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Di Sotto
authors.affiliation: Rome Center for Molecular Design, Department of Drug Chemistry and Technology, "Sapienza" University, P.le Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy. gianni.sartorelli@libero.it.
authors.forename: Gianni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sartorelli
authors.affiliation: Rome Center for Molecular Design, Department of Drug Chemistry and Technology, "Sapienza" University, P.le Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy. mijatboz@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Mijat
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Božović
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, "Sapienza" University, P.le Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy. letizia.angiolella@uniroma1.it.
authors.forename: Letizia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Angiolella
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology and Pharmacology "Vittorio Erspamer", "Sapienza" University, P.le Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy. gabriela.mazzanti@uniroma1.it.
authors.forename: Gabriela
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Mazzanti
authors.affiliation: Department of Drug Chemistry and Technology, "Sapienza" University, P.le Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy. federico.pepi@uniroma1.it.
authors.forename: Federico
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Pepi
authors.affiliation: Rome Center for Molecular Design, Department of Drug Chemistry and Technology, "Sapienza" University, P.le Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy. rino.ragno@uniroma1.it.
authors.forename: Rino
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ragno
mesh_terms: D000935:Antifungal Agents / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000494:pharmacology; D002176:Candida albicans / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; D027541:Mentha / Q000737:chemistry*; D008930:Mitochondria, Liver / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D039821:Monoterpenes / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000494:pharmacology; D009154:Mutation; D009822:Oils, Volatile / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000494:pharmacology; D010087:Oxides; D012486:Salmonella typhimurium / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics; D012621:Seasons; D052616:Solid Phase Extraction / Q000379:methods; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D000935:Antifungal Agents; D039821:Monoterpenes; D009822:Oils, Volatile; D010087:Oxides; C044956:piperitenone
keywords: GC/MS, essential oils; Mentha suaveolens; piperitenone oxide