Chemical Characterization of Essential Oils of Mints from Senegal

Mints from Senegal were extracted separately from fresh (F) and shade-dried (D) plants by steam distillation. Yields were of 0.28 and 0.21% for M. citrata L., 0.21 and 0.18% for M. x piperita L. and 0.10 and 0.19% for M. spicata L. in the fresh and dried plants, respectively. GC/FID and GC/MS analysis revealed that many of the major compounds of essential oils decreased with drying. The prominent components of M. citrata oils were linalool that constituted 45.8% (F) and 42.0% (D) and linalyl acetate 42.7 (F) and 38.5% (D). Mentha x piperita was characterized by menthofuran with 30.7% (F) and 28.1% (D), menthol 15.9(F) and 16.4% (D), menthone 13.0 (F) and 14.2% (D), pulegone 17.6%(F) and 13.8%(D) and 1.8-cineole 3.7%(F) and 3.4% (D). Mentha spicata contained mainly carvone 67.8 and 74.7% and limonene 18.1 and 12.5% in the fresh and dried plants respectively.