Abstract 1251 "Purification and Characterization of Mountain Mint (Pycnanthemum muticum) Essential Oil and its Potential Use in Medicine and Food"

This is the authors' abstract. We don't add key points for this paper.

The Lamiaceae (mint) family is an important medicinal group of over 7000 species, including spearmint, lavender, and rosemary. The Pycnanthemum genus represents a diverse group of herbaceous plants known as the "mountain mints", which are native to eastern North America and have a characteristic minty aroma. These mints, also known as clustered mountain mints, are less invasive than plants in the Mentha genus, such as peppermint, and support native pollinators. Various mountain mints have been used medicinally by Native Americans to treat chills and fever, coughs, and upset stomach. P. muticum has not been as well characterized as other varieties, but shows potential for medicinal and flavoring use as part of the mint family. A concern is the level of pulegone, which has been both positively and negatively linked to its role in attractiveness as a pollinator plant and its toxicity. Synthetic pulegone use is regulated by the FDA. Mountain mint leaves, buds, and stems were studied. Harvest, extraction by distillation, and characterization of essential oil were conducted. Essential oil constituents were characterized and yields compared using GC/MS, and tested for antibiotic activity.