ESSENTIAL OILS WITH 1,2-EPOXY-P-MENTHANE DERIVATIVES FROM MENTHA-SPICATA PLANTS GROWING ACROSS THE ISLAND OF CRETE

The essential oil content and composition of Mentha spicata plants, co llected from 11 localities, scattered across the island of Crete (S. G reece), have been studied. The qualitative and quantitative essential oil analyses by means of GC and GC-MS, have shown that these are chara cterized by a high quantity of trans-piperitone oxide and/or piperiten one oxide. The pattern of essential oil quantitative variation follows a NW --> SE direction on Crete. Along this direction, the total essen tial oil content of the plants increased whereas, the essential oil co mponents formed via the pathway leading to the formation of cis-piperi tone oxide are gradually substituted by those leading to the formation of trans-piperitone oxide.