A Study on Mongolian Mints. A New Chemotype from Mentha asiatica Borriss and Constituents of M. arvensis L. and M. piperita L.

ABSTRACT The essential oils of Mentha asiatica Borriss, M. arvensis L. and M. piperita L. of Mongolian origin were analyzed by GC and GC/MS. The oils of M. asiatica and M. arvensis, which were produced from plants collected from their natural habitat, were found to contain rosefuran (11.56%) and rosefuran oxide (63.17%), and (Z)-β-ocimene (10.60%), (E)-β-ocimene (>17.0%) and linalool (46.63%) respectively. The oil of M. piperita, which was produced from cultivated plants, contained the usual constituents such as menthone (32.22%) and menthol (35.07%) as major compounds. The rosefuran/rosefuran oxide-rich M. asiatica is an example of a new chemotype, whereas the M. arvensis was found to be similar to a chemotype previoulsy found in N. America. The identities of rosefuran and rosefuran oxide were confirmed by 1H- and 13C-NMR.