ESSENTIAL OILS OF SPEARMINT (CARVONE-RICH) PLANTS FROM THE ISLAND OF CRETE (GREECE)

The essential oil content and composition of three spearmint taxa, Men tha longifolia, M. spicata and M. x villoso-nervata. that have been fo und in scattered localities along the island of Crete (Greece) are stu died. A noticeable variation has been found in respect to their essent ial oil yield; it ranges from 1.2 to 3.9%. The qualitative and quantit ative analyses of their essential oils have shown that in all cases th ey are characterised by a high quantity of carvone/dihydrocarvone as w ell as their related alcohols and esters. The contribution. though. of carvone and its derivatives as well as of limonene, the precursor of p-menthane components, varies significantly in the different essential oils both within and between the different taxa. The origin of spearm int plants on Crete is discussed.