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Mentha Herb
Mentha Herb
ハッカ
Market name:ハッカ
Photo location:Museum of Materia Medica, Inst. of Nat. Med.
TMPW No.:9844
Mentha piperita
Plant name:Mentha piperita
Photo location:Kyoto Pref., Japan
Photo date:1990
Photographer:K. Komatsu

Synonym  
Latin name Menthae Herba
Botanical source: Family name Labiatae
Botanical source: Plant name Mentha arvensis var. piperascens Malinvaud
Part used Terrestrial part
Empirical criteria for quality selection The leaf of good one is dark-green and has a strong odor (TN).
Constituents Monoterpenoids:
l-Menthol (70-90% of essential oil), l-Menthone, 1,8-Cineole, Isomenthone, d-Neomenthol, α-Pinene, Camphene, Menthenone, l-Limonene, Piperitone, Piperitenone, Pulegone

Sesquiterpenoids:
β-Caryophyllene, Germacrene-D
Pharmacological effects Central inhibition, vasodilation, skin stimulation, spasmolysis (essential oil), local stimulation, local anesthesia, spasmolysis, carminative, cholagogue, and anthelmin (menthol).
Indications As an aromatic stomachic and carminative, it is applied to treat headache, dizziness, sore throat, scrofula and a discomfort feeling of distension in the chest and abdomen. Mostly, it is used as raw material for l-menthol (antiseptic, local anesthesia), peppermint oil and peppermint water.
Diseases Fever, Chill, Headache, Anhidrosis, Swelling and pain of the throat, Red eye, Measles, Itching, Pain due to flatulence of hypochondrium, Full stomach, Abdominal pain, Vomitting, Diarrhea
Formulas kagenryokakusan (asada) , kagenryokakusan (kyoteiken) , kamishoyosan , kamishoyosankasenkyujio , kyoseihatekigan , keigairengyoto , keibohaidokusan , saikoseikanto , shoyosan , jiinshihoto , seijobofuto , senkanmeimokuto , senkyuchachosan , bofutsushosan , ryokakusan
Meridian tropism Lung, Liver
Property Cool
Flavor Acrid/pungent
Classification in "Shen-non Ben-cao Jing"  
TCM: Classification Diaphoretics
TCM: Medicinal effects To dispel wind-heat from the head and eyes, and to quench eruption.
Used for headache in influenza, upper respiratory infection and other epidemic febrile disease at the initial stage, inflammation of eye, sore throat, ulcers in the mouth, rubella and measles, discomfort with the feeling of distension in the chest and hypochondriac regions.
Remarks Listed in the Japanese Pharmacopoeia 18th ed.
References TN: T. Namba & Y. Tsuda ed., Outline of Pharmacognosy, a Textbook, 3rd ed., Nankodo Co., Ltd., Tokyo, 1998.
DNA sequences of medicinal plants
Gene Region
Nuclear Chloroplast Mitochondria
Botanical source: Plant name 5Ss 18S ITS1 5.8S ITS2 26S others trnH-psbA matK trnK trnK-rps16 trnT-L trnL trnL-F rbcL rpoC1 ndhF others
Mentha arvensis var. piperascens Malinvaud [=Mentha canadensis (NCBI:txid294733)]
rpl16
 AY618532
 

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Section of Pharmacognosy,
Division of Medicinal Resources,
Department of Research and Development,
Institute of Natural Medicine,
University of Toyama
2630 Sugitani, Toyama 930-0194 Japan
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