FAMILY: LABIATAE

ASSIGNED BY DR. IMRAN NAZIR

PRESENTED BY MUDASSAR AHMAD KAMBOH

DPH-FA11-035THE UNIVERSITY OF FAISALABAD

Plants included in family Labiatae Spearmint Ocimum Salvia

Synonyms

Mint, pudina (Hindi)

Biological source

Spearmint consists of the dried leaf and flower top of Menthia spicata.

Family

Labiatae

Habitat

The plant is found in European and Asian countries and widely cultivated in U.S.A.

Characters

Mint is glabrous herb identical to peppermint, 30-90 cm high, with creeping rhizomes, but the stems are usually more purple, leaves are more or less crumpled, opposite, ovate-lanceolate, 3-7 cm long.

The apex is acute or acuminate, and the margin unequally serrate. The leaves are almost sessile with bright green colour free from purple.

Infloresence is slender, interrupted cylindrical spikes or crowded lanceolate spikes with 7-10mm long.

Chemical constituents Spearmint contains volatile oils (0.5%)

resins and tannin. The principal component is corvine(50-

55%) alongwith some other monoterpenic constituents like limonene, phellandrene, dipentene, dihydrocarveol, dihydrocarveol acetate, cineol, a-pinene, lialool etc.

Uses Spearmint is used as flavouring agent.

Spice and carminative. It has stimulant, digestive, spasmolytic and

diuretic properties. It is given in fever, vomiting and bronchitis and

employed as a lotion in ampthae.

Green leaves are used for making chutney ad for flavoring culinary preparation, vinegar, jellies and cold drinks.

A soothing tea is brewed from the leaves. A sweetened infusion of the herb is given as a remedy for infantile troubles, vomiting in pregnancy and hysteria.

SynonymsTulsi.

Biological sourceTulsi is the dried leaves of Ocimum sanctum Linn.

Family Labiatae .

Habitat The plant is cultivated throughout India especially in Hindu houses and temples of worship.

Chemical constituents Leaves contain 0.7% of volatile oil. The

prominent constituents of the essential oil are eugenol (71%), methyleugenol(20%), and caryophyllene(1.7%). The oil of species grown in Philippine contains methyl chavicol, cineole and linalool.

Leaves have expectorant, diaphoretic, antiperiodic, anticatarrhal, antiseptic and spasmolytic properties and are used in caarrh, bronchitis, cold, cough, fever and gastric disorders. The leaves have been employed as aromatic, carminative, stimulant, and flavoring agent.

Infusion of leave is used as stomachic in gastric disorders of children and in ozena. Seeds are demulcents and given in disorders of genito-urinary system.

The plant is used in snake bite and scorpion-sting.