In the present work, the effect of the geographical origin on the mass production, and essential oil content
and composition of fresh and dry leaves of spearmint (Mentha
×villosa Huds.) was evaluated. Field experiments
were conducted in three different municipalities (Amargosa, Cruz das Almas and Santo António
de Jesus) from Bahia region (Brazil) and two drying methodologies (natural and artificial with controlled
conditions) were assessed. Fresh and dried leaves essential oils were extracted by hydro-distillation and
their volatiles were determined by gas chromatography with a flame ionization detector (GC/FID) and
by gas chromatography with a mass selective detector (GC/MS). The results showed that Cruz das Almas
field reported higher biomass production and Santo Antônio de Jesus higher leaves essential oil content.
The natural and artificial drying methodologies affected in a similar way the leaves essential oil content
in each region, but they affected considerably their composition. Eighteen volatile constituents were
identified, mainly sesquiterpenes and monoterpenes, where piperitenone oxide and germacrene D are in
higher abundance. By applying a PCA it was possible to distinguish the fresh leaves from each region from
the leaves dried by the different drying methodologies, highlighting the increase of minor compounds,
mainly sesquiterpenes in the dried leaves from Santo Antônio de Jesus.
We acknowledge Federal University of Goiás,
(Goiania, Brazil), Mountain Research Centre (CIMO, Bragança, Portugal) and the Polytechnic Institute of
Bragança (Bragança, Portugal) for the scholarship support
to the first author.
