Comparative Evaluation of Different Mint Species Based on Their In Vitro Antioxidant and Antibacterial Effect

Overview

Journal Plants (Basel)

Date 2025 Jan 11

PMID 39795364

Authors

Ameni Sfaxi

Szilvia Tavaszi-Sarosi

Kovacs Florian

Katalin Patonay

Peter Radacsi

Akos Juhasz

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

In our research six different mint species (peppermint, spearmint (five different chemotypes), Horse mint, mojito mint, apple mint (two different chemotypes), bergamot mint) have been evaluated by referring to their chemical (essential oil (EO) content and composition) and in vitro biological (antibacterial, antioxidant effect) characteristics. The EO amount of the analyzed mint populations varied between 1.99 and 3.61 mL/100 g d.w. Altogether, 98 volatile compounds have been detected in the oils. Antibacterial effects (inhibition zones, MIC, IC and MBC) were evaluated against , , and . The best antibacterial effect was given by a carvacrol-thymol chemotype spearmint population (inhibition zone: 18.00-20.00 mm, MIC: 0.06 /%, IC: 0.01-0.03 /%, MBC: 0.06, >2.00 /%). The least effective oil in the case of Gram-negative bacteria was bergamot mint (inhibition zone: 7.67-8.67 mm, MIC: 2.00, >2.00 /%, IC: 0.11-0.25 /%, MBC: 2.00, >2.00 /%), while in the case of Gram-positive bacteria, oils containing dihydrocarvone as the main compound possessed the weakest antibacterial effect (inhibition zone: 9.00-10.00 mm, MIC: 1.00-2.00 /%, IC: 0.22-0.37 /%, MBC: >2.00 /%). Interestingly, none of the oils could kill in the applied concentrations.

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