Identification and quantification of l-menthyl lactate in essential oils from Mentha arvensis L. from India and model studies on the formation of l-menthyl lactate during essential oil production
✍ Scribed by Klaus Gassenmeier
- Publisher
- John Wiley and Sons
- Year
- 2006
- Tongue
- English
- Weight
- 528 KB
- Volume
- 21
- Category
- Article
- ISSN
- 0882-5734
- DOI
- 10.1002/ffj.1719
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✦ Synopsis
L-Menthyl-L-lactate was identified in dementholized cornmint oil from India by comparing mass spectrum and retention time with a reference sample on two columns. A method for quantification of L-menthyl-L-lactate was developed based on deuterium-labelled L-menthyl-L-lactate. Levels of L-menthyl-L-lactate in cornmint oil ranged from 1 to 15 mg/kg, and it was not found in piperita oils from the USA. In laboratory-scale distilled piperita oil from dried piperita leaves no L-menthyl-L-lactate was found, but when lactic acid was added before distillation L-menthyl-L-lactate could be detected in the oil. When humidified piperita leaves were allowed to stand for 7 days before distillation, the distilled oil contained L-menthyl-L-lactate. The finding that L-menthyl-L-lactate was identified in cornmint oil but not in piperita oil is explained by different agricultural practices. Lactic acid-producing microorganisms form lactic acid on Indian cornmint herb during prolonged storage, and upon distillation L-menthyl-L-lactate is formed from L-menthol and L-lactic acid.