Seasonal Variation in Content and Chemical Composition of Essential Oils from Leaves of Mentha longifolia Huds . ( Lamiaceae )
The genus Mentha L., member of the family Lamiaceae, consists of approximately 14-25 species, grows widely throughout the temperate regions of the world (Harley, 1972; Gobert et al., 2002). Mentha longifolia, member of the family Lamiaceae is a perennial bushy plant and upright, reaches height of about 1 m. Strongly aromatic, the leaves are formed in pairs opposite to each other along the square-shaped stem. Mentha longifoliais is used in herbal medicine and is native to the Mediterranean region and Middle East. It is mainly used for the treatment of respiratory ailments, but many other uses have been recorded. Leaves are used the most , usually for preparation of tea against coughs, colds, stomach cramps, asthma, flatulence, indigestion and headaches (Gulluce et al., 2007). In the Lamiaceae family, essential oils are mainly produced in secretary structures known as glandular trachomes, of which there are two main kinds, peltate and capitates. The amount of essential oils produced is directly connected with the number and physiology of these structures. Essential oils are very complicated mixtures of Bulletin of the Chemists and Technologists of Bosnia and Herzegovina