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IntroductionDue to its considerable pharmaceutical importance, in addition to its use in food and cosmetics, Mentha piperita L. (peppermint) has always been a crop of interest. It has extensive uses in food, confectionaries, mouthwashes, chewing gums, toothpastes, herbal preparations, and various aromatherapy products (Lawrence, 2007). Its medicinal uses include antiinflammatory, carminative, analgesic, stimulant, emmenagogue, diaphoretic, antiemetic, antispasmodic, and anticatarrhal. It can also be used to treat anorexia, bronchitis, flatulence, ulcerative colitis, nausea, and liver complaints. Peppermint oil can also be externally applied for antiseptic, antipruritic, rubefacient, antimicrobial, and astringent purposes, in addition to its use for the treatment of migraines, headaches

Titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO2NPs) have intrigued scientists due to their plant growth elicitor activity and potential to strengthen the photosynthetic machinery of plants. Therefore, we investigated if foliar application of TiO2NPs could enhance the photosynthetic characteristics and the yield of essential oil-bearing multipurpose crop, Vetiveria zizanioides. Of the various concentrations (30, 60, 90, 120, and 150 mg L −1), 90 mg(TiO2NPs) L −1 was found being significant enough in mproving most of the parameters studied. At 300 d after transplantation, foliar application of TiO2NPs (90 mg L −1) increased the total chlorophyll (Chl) content and maximum photochemical efficiency of PSII by 27.2 and 23.5%, respectively, compared with the control. Due to this treatment, the content and yield of essential oil (EO) increased by 23.6 and 55.1%, respectively. The khusimol (main active constituent of EO) content and yield were improved by 24.5 and 93.2%, respectively.