Cytotoxic Effects of Essential Oils and Extracts of some Mentha species on Vero, Hela and Hep2 Cell Lines

Background: Mentha species are widely used in traditional medicine mostly as anti-flatulence. Nowadays, their usage as flavor and preservative in food, cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries has been developed. Moreover, cytotoxic effects of some Mentha species have been reported. Objective: In this study, cytotoxic properties of Mentha piperita, M. spicata, M. aquatica, M. crispa, M. pulegium and M. longifolia have been investigated. Methods: Different concentrations of essential oils and total extracts of six Mentha species were tested by MTT assay against Vero, Hep2 and Hela cell lines. Results: The results showed that all samples were toxic against Vero, Hela and Hep2 cell lines (IC50 28.1-166.2 µg/ml). Conclusion: All examined Mentha species extracts and essential oils have cytotoxic effects but some of them could be considered as potent toxic agents.