A COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW OF MEDICINAL AND THERAPEUTIC USES OF MENTHA PIPERITA

Abstract

The new trend in food science is to replace the synthetic preservatives with natural vegetable sources. As mentioned by a large scientific literature, due to their rich chemical composition in bioactive compounds, essential oils could be a novelty in this research area. Thanks to the main components of Mentha piperita species, such as menthol and menthone, peppermint oil represent a new possibility to prevent and maintain the appearance of food borne pathogens. Also, peppermint oil could be successfully used to treat different human diseases, having medicinal and therapeutic effects.