title: Quantitative estimation of pulegone in Mentha longifolia growing in Saudi Arabia. Is it safe to use?
abstract: Our TLC study of the volatile oil isolated from Mentha longifolia showed a major UV active spot with higher Rf value than menthol. Based on the fact that the components of the oil from same plant differ quantitatively due to environmental conditions, the major spot was isolated using different chromatographic techniques and identified by spectroscopic means as pulegone. The presence of pulegone in M. longifolia, a plant widely used in Saudi Arabia, raised a hot debate due to its known toxicity. The Scientific Committee on Food, Health & Consumer Protection Directorate General, European Commission set a limit for the presence of pulegone in foodstuffs and beverages. In this paper we attempted to determine the exact amount of pulegone in different extracts, volatile oil as well as tea flavoured with M. longifolia (Habak) by densitometric HPTLC validated methods using normal phase (Method I) and reverse phase (Method II) TLC plates. The study indicated that the style of use of Habak in Saudi Arabia resulted in much less amount of pulegone than the allowed limit.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacognosy, College of Pharmacy, Prince Sattam Bin Abdulaziz University, Al-Kharj, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Prawez
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Alam
authors.affiliation: Undergraduate Student, College of Pharmacy, Prince Sattam Bin Abdulaziz University, Al-Kharj, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Mahmoud Fayez
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Saleh
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacognosy, College of Pharmacy, Prince Sattam Bin Abdulaziz University, Al-Kharj, Saudi Arabia / Department of Pharmacognosy, College of Pharmacy, Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt.
authors.forename: Maged Saad
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Abdel-Kader
mesh_terms: D056148:Chromatography, Reverse-Phase; D002855:Chromatography, Thin Layer; D000081005:Cyclohexane Monoterpenes; D027541:Mentha / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000737:chemistry*; D039821:Monoterpenes / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000032:analysis*; D009822:Oils, Volatile / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000737:chemistry*; D008517:Phytotherapy; D035261:Plant Components, Aerial; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000737:chemistry*; D010938:Plant Oils / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000737:chemistry*; D010946:Plants, Medicinal; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012529:Saudi Arabia
chemical_list: D000081005:Cyclohexane Monoterpenes; D039821:Monoterpenes; D009822:Oils, Volatile; D010936:Plant Extracts; D010938:Plant Oils; C039648:pulegone
keywords: Mentha longifolia; pulegone; volatile oil; quantitative; HPTLC.