A Comparative Analysis of the Chemical Composition, Anti-Inflammatory, and Antinociceptive Effects of the Essential Oils from Three Species of Mentha Cultivated in Romania

This work was aimed at correlating the chemotype of three species cultivated in Romania with an in vivo study of the anti-inflammatory and antinociceptive effects of essential oils. The selected species were L. var. (white peppermint), L. subsp. (spearmint), and Ehrh. (pineapple mint). Qualitative and quantitative analysis of the essential oils isolated from the selected species was performed by gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The anti-inflammatory activity of the essential oils was determined by the rat paw edema test induced by λ-carrageenan. The antinociceptive effect of the essential oils was evaluated by the writhing test in mice, using 1% ( / ) acetic acid solution administered intraperitonealy and by the hot plate test in mice. The results showed a menthol chemotype for , a carvone chemotype for and a piperitenone oxide chemotype for . The essential oil from L. (EOMSP) produced statistically significant and dose-dependent anti-inflammatory and antinociceptive effects.