Phytoconstituents and pharmacological activity of Mentha longifolia L. (wild mint)

A review of studies carried out by a team of researchers at the Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences and Tehran University of Medical Sciences in Iran has found that the herb Mentha longifolia, more commonly known as wild mint or horse mint, contains a wide variety of natural components that can serve as novel medicinal sources for developing medicines.

• The study, which was published in the Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine, reviewed previous studies on the pharmacological activities, therapeutic indications, and phytochemicals of M. longifolia.
• M. longifolia is an herb that has been traditionally consumed for the treatment of different diseases, such as gastrointestinal disorders, respiratory problems, infectious diseases, inflammatory diseases, and menstrual problems.
• The different pharmacological activities of M. longifolia, such as antiparasitic, antimicrobial, anti-insect, antimutagenic, antinociceptive, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, keratoprotective, hepatoprotective, anti-diarrhea, and spasmolytic effects, were also confirmed in earlier studies.
• Studies also showed that the plant provides therapeutic benefits in different diseases, such as irritable bowel syndrome, amenorrhea, and oligomenorrhea, as well as in oxidative stress-associated diseases.
• Studies also suggested that the pharmacological action of M. longifolia can be attributed to its natural components, such as flavonoids, phenolic acids, cinnamates, ceramides, sesquiterpenes, terpenes, and terpenoids. These can potentially be used as novel medicinal sources for developing new drugs.
• However, the researchers noted that further preclinical and clinical investigations exploring therapeutic efficacy and safety of the herb and its phytoconstituents are needed.

In conclusion, the research team concluded that M. longifolia has a wide variety of therapeutic functions and different highly bioactive components.

For the full text of the study, go to this link.

Journal Reference:

Farzaei MH, Bahramsoltani R, Ghobadi A, Farzaei F, Najafi F. PHARMACOLOGICAL ACTIVITY OF MENTHA LONGIFOLIA AND ITS PHYTOCONSTITUENTS. Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine. October 2017;37(5):710–720. DOI: 10.1016/S0254-6272(17)30327-8