Habitat: Cultivated in Indian gardens.
English: Water Mint, Wild Mint.Unani: Pudinaa Nahari.Action: Leaf—stimulant, astringent. Used for diarrhoea and dysmenorrhoea.
The essential oil is composed of 40-50% menthofuran, with menthol, methyl acetate, pulegone among other constituents.... mentha aquaticaHabitat: Native to Europe and Asia; cultivated in Kashmir, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh and Punjab.
English: English Horsemint.Unani: Pudinaa-Barri, Jangali Pudinaa.Action: Leaf and flowering top— carminative, stimulant, antiseptic, febrifuge. Used for digestive disorders and headaches. Essential oil—antibacterial.
Chief components of the volatile oil are 1,8-cineole 28.8, piperitone 13.9, cis- piperitone oxide 15.4 and piperitenone 13.8%. The aerial parts contain flavonoids—3'-hydroxy-4',5,6,7-tetra- methoxyflavone, hesperetin-7-rutino- side, luteolin, ursolic acid and beta- sitosterol. The essential oil acts as a CNS depressant and has somnifacient properties. Phenolic extract showed stimulative effect on CNS of mice. Administration of the oil leads to a drop in body temperature.American Horsemint is equated with Monarda punctata L. The major component of the volatile oil is thymol. The leaves and tops are used as stimulant, carminative and emmenagogue.... mentha longifoliaHabitat: Native to Europe; cultivated in Maharashtra, Kashmir and Punjab.
English: Peppermint, Brandy Mint.Ayurvedic: Vilaayati Pudinaa.Action: Oil—digestive, carminative, chloretic, antispasmodic, diuretic, antiemetic, mild sedative, diaphoretic, antiseptic, antiviral, used in many mixtures of indigestion and colic and cough and cold remedies.
Key application: Leaf—internally for spastic complaints of the gastrointestinal tract, gallbladder and bile ducts. (German Commission E, ESCOP.) The British Herbal Compendium indicates peppermint leaf for dyspepsia, flatulence, intestinal colic, and biliary disorders.Key application: Oil—as a carminative. (The British Herbal Pharmacopoeia.) In spastic discomfort fo the upper gastrointestinal tract and bile ducts, irritable colon, the respiratory tract and inflammation of the oral mucosa. Externally, for myalgia and neuralgia. (German Commission E.) ESCOP indicates its use for irritable bowel syndrome, coughs and colds. Externally, for coughs and colds, rheumatic complaints, pruritus, urticaria, and pain in irritable skin conditions. (ESCOP.)The essential oil has both antibacterial and antifungal properties.The major constituents of the essential oil are: menthol, menthone, pulegone, menthofuran, 1,8-cineole, men- thyl acetate, isomenthone. The leaves contain flavonoid glycosides, erioc- itrin, luteolin 7-O-rutinoside, hesperi- din, isorhoifolin, diosmin, eriodictyol 7-O-glucoside and narirutin, besides rosmarinic acid, azulenes, cholene, carotenes.Peppermint oil relaxed carvachol- contracted guinea-pig tenia coli, and inhibited spontaneous activity in guinea-pig colon and rabbit jejunum. It relaxes gastrointestinal smooth muscle by reducing calcium influx. Peppermint oil reduced gastric emptying time in dyspeptics.The aqueous and ethanolic extracts exhibited antiviral activity against RPV (rinder pest virus), a highly contagious viral disease of cattle.... mentha piperataHabitat: Cultivated in Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra.
English: Spearmint, Garden Mint.Ayurvedic: Pudinaa, Podinaka, Puutihaa, Rochini.Unani: Nanaa. Pudinaa Kohi.Action: Carminative, stimulant, antispasmodic, antiemetic, diaphoretic, antiseptic. A tea of dry flowers and leaves is prescribed for tracheobronchitis and hypertension.
The chief constituents of the essential oil are carvone (55-75%) and limonene (up to 21.4%). The herb gave flavonoids, diosmin and diosmetin. Caffeic acid derivatives include ros- marinic acid in the volatile oil.Dosage: Leaf—5-10 ml juice; 35 ml extract. (CCRAS.)... mentha spicataHabitat: Bihar, Orissa, Bengal, Sikkim, Nepal, Assam, Khasi, Aka and Lushai hills.
Action: Bark of the root, stem and branches—used in the treatment of tubercular cases.
The root contains coumarins, mi- cromelin, phebalosin and yuehchak- ene.Micromelum pubescens Blume, synonym M. minutum (Forst. f.) Seem. is found in the Andamans. The plant is used in Malaya and Indonesia for phthisis and chest diseases. The root is chewed with betel for coughs.The leaves contain coumarins, mi- cropubescin and phebalosin.The bark contains phebalosin. The roots contain micromelumin, phe- balosin, imperatorin, angelical, lime- ttin, scopoletin, minumicrolin and murrangatin.Family: Lamiaceae; Labiatae.Habitat: Kumaon, Upper Gangetic plain, Bihar, Orissa, Western Ghats, Nilgiris.
Folk: Pudinaa (var.).Action: Plant—carminative. Used as a substitute for Mentha piperata Linn.
The plant yields an essential oil (1.6%) which contains mainly pulegone (80%).Micromeria biflora Benth., equated with Indian Wild Thyme, is found in tropical and temperate Himalayas, and in Western Ghats and hills of South India.The principal constituent of volatile oil of Camphorata sp. is camphor; of Citrata sp. is citral; of menthata and Pulegata sp. is d-menthone; and pulegone.... micromelum integerrimumHabitat: Native to North America; also found in temperate Himalayas from Kashmir to Nepal; grown in gardens in western India.
English: Mother-of-thyme, Wild Thyme. Thymus vulgaris (Garden Thyme) is found in the Nilgiris at higher elevations.Ayurvedic: Ajagandhaa, Vana- Yavaani. (Not to be confused with Yavaani, Ajmodaa, Shataahvaa, Raajikaa and Tilaparni.)Unani: Haashaa, Jangali Pudinaa. Thysanolaena agrostis Nees.Action: Antiseptic, antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral, antispasmodic, mild sedative, expectorant. T. serpyllum and T. vulgaris L. are used for coughs and common cold.
Key application: German Commission E approved T. vulgaris for symptoms of bronchitis, whooping cough and catarrhs of the upper respiratory tracts. Also to treat stomatitis. (ESCOP.)The British Herbal Pharmacopoeia recognizes expectorant activity of T. serpyllum.T. serpyllum contains more linalool and p-cymol than Garden Thyme (T. vulgaris). Major constituent of the volatile oil of both the species (highly variable) is thymol; with carvacrol (lesser amount in T. serpyllum, higher in T. vulgaris), 1,8-cineole, borneol, geraniol, linalool. bornyl and lina- lyl acetate, thymol methyl ether and alpha-pinene.Flavonoids include apigenin, lute- olin, thymonin, naringenin; other constituents include labiatic acid, caffeic acid, tannins.The flavonoid fraction has shown to have a potent effect on smooth muscle on guinea-pig trachea and ileum.Thymol is expectorant and antiseptic. Thymol and carvacrol are spasmolytic. Thymol is also urinary tract antiseptic and anthelmintic.Dosage: Whole plant—3–5 g powder. (CCRAS.)... thymus serpyllum
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