Some Specific Features of The Biochemical Composition of the Raw Material of Mint (Mentha spicata var. Crispa L.)

Abstract The object of the study is spearmint, a polymorphic species, which is characterized by the strong variability of its morphological characteristics and biochemical composition. As a result of studies on the form of M. spicata L. and M. spicata L. cv. Moroccan, it is found that the raw material of this species is characterized by a high content of phenolic compounds (7.94–9.14%), including flavonoids (2.15–4.35%). The content of essential oil reaches the maximum during flowering of 1.54% in the raw material of M. spicata L. and 1.48% in the raw material of M. spicata L. cv. Moroccan. The main components of the essential oil are carvone and dihydrocarvone, the total content of which in the essential oil during the flowering phase reaches 73.51% or more. The content of carvone, depending on the phase of development, increases by the time of flowering from 57.69 to 60.79% in M. spicata L. cv. Moroccan and from 65.32 to 79.8% in the sample of M. spicata L., which is comparable to the content of carvone in caraway seeds. Thus, the raw material M. spicata L. can be considered as a source of carvone on a par with caraway seeds. Thus, the studied spearmint samples can be attributed to the carvone chemotype, and the raw material of M. spicata L. can be considered as a source of carvone on par with caraway seeds.