Flavor Chemistry of Peppermint Oil (Mentha piperita L.)

摘要

The flavoring of foods and oral care products with mint is economically of growing importance. The flavorings consist mainly of blends of peppermint (Mentha piperita), spearmint (Mentha spicata), and cornmint oils (Mentha arvensis), along with menthol and other flavor materials. In addition, more and more nature-identical (synthetic) mint oil compositions are used. The most valuable oil is Mentha piperita which is mainly grown in the United States but also in smaller amounts in France, Italy, China, and India, in various varieties. The five primary American mint oil producing regions are the Midwest Range (Indiana, Wisconsin, and Michigan), Willamette (West Oregon), Madras (East Oregon), Kennewick (Washington) and Idaho. In our study a Willamette peppermint oil was extensively investigated by GC, GC-MS and GC-olfactometry for its flavor chemistry. The isolation and identification of so far unknown trace methods and subsequent application of ~1H-NMR and ~(13)C-NMR spectroscopy. Some new flavor compounds could be identified which have not been described in peppermint oil or even in natural products before.