Essential oils and other aromatic compounds from peppermint (Mentha piperita L.) are widely used for their medicinal and aromatherapeutic properties in health care, traditional medicines, in preparing pharmaceuticals and cosmetics or for culinary purposes. The present study evaluated the variation of certain physiological indices (rate of photorespiration-E; stem dry matter-SDM; leaf dry matter content-LDM; chlorophyll molecules Chl; rate of photosynthesis-PSN) and quality of essential oil from peppermint cultivated under controlled environmental conditions based on Hoagland nutrient solution with addition of P and K. It was recorded the variation of physiological indexes, in relation with Hoagland solution changes. Accordingly, for rate of photorespiration was found a medium positive correlation with potassium (r = 0.672), and a strong relationship with chlorophyll (r =-0.841). Stem dry matter and phosphorus were strong negative correlated (r =-0.898). The leaf dry matter was very strong negative (r =-0.999) influenced by P, and weak correlated with K (r = 0.536). Chlorophyll was very strong and negative influenced by K (r =-0.966). The rate of photosynthesis and stem dry matter were weak correlated (r =-0.441). PSN and chlorophyll were very strong negative correlated (r =-0.966), and contrary the rate of photorespiration was strongly and positive correlated with PSN (r = 0.952). K had a strong and positive influence on PSN (r = 0.866). Amid these interdependencies of the nutrition conditions and physiological indices were identified high levels of special compounds in the peppermint essential oil: menthone 17%, menthol 33%, izometil acetate 5%, limonene 2%, pulegone 1.8% and from sesquiterpenes was determined β-caryophyllene with a 1.2% concentration.

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