Antimicrobial Activity of Isolates and Derivatives ex IndianMentha arvensisEssential Oil

The antimicrobial activity of the steam distilled essential oil of Mentha arvensis, major isolates such as monoterpenes, menthone and isomenthone, dementholized oil (DMO), liquid menthol, l-men-thol and its acyl derivatives were studied. In vitro bioactivity evaluation of the oil, isolated components and the derivatives showed activity against a wide spectrum of human pathogenic fungi and bacteria tested. The activity of the isolated pure compounds and l-menthol derivatives was comparable to the bioactivity of original oil.