Essential Oil Composition of Menthol Mint ( Mentha arvensis ) and Peppermint ( Mentha piperita ) Cultivars at Different Stages of Plant Growth from Kumaon Region of Western Himalaya

Abstract

Menthol mint ( Mentha arvensis L.) and peppermint ( M. piperita L.) cultivars grown in Kumaon region were evaluated for essential oil content and composition at different stages of crop growth. In men­thol mint cultivars viz ., ‘Kosi’, ‘Saksham’, ‘Himalaya’, and ‘Kalka’, the essential oil content was found to vary from 0.3% - 1.2%, 0.42% - 1.1%, 0.38% - 1.0% and 0.26% - 1.2%, at different days after transplanting (DAT) respectively, while in cultivars ‘Kukrail’, ‘CIM-Madhurus’ and ‘CIM-Indus’ of peppermint, it varied from 0.28% - 0.6%, 0.19% - 0.55% and 0.17% - 0.37%, respectively at different DAT. The menthol content in all the menthol mint cultivars reached higher values at 120 and 150 DAT. In case of peppermint cultivars viz ., Kukrail’, ‘CIM-Madhurus’ and ‘CIM-Indus’, menthol content varied from 32.92% - 39.65%, 34.29% - 42.83% and 22.56% - 32.77%, respectively during the crop growth.