Calamintha nepeta (L.) Savi and Micromeria thymifolia (Scop.) Fritsch cultivated in Italy

Abstract

Calamintha nepeta and Micromeria thymifolia have been traditionally used in the Mediterranean area as condiments and medicinal plants for a long time. Whereas in parts of Italy C. nepeta (special recipes have been developed in Lazio and Tuscany) is also an established garden plant showing different evolutionary products and their interaction among each other and the wild progenitor, M. thymifolia is being developed into a new crop plant. Both plants and their uses are described with regard to Italy. There is a marked tendency to broaden the use of condiments and spices which results in new crop plants which have to be documented and elaborated in further studies. Many species of Labiatae are predisposed to use by man and new items can be found even in areas which have to be considered as well studied.

Postharvest management affects spearmint and calamint essential oils

“…18,19 No specific data are known for C. nepeta, even though it has been cultivated for the herb in the Latium Region and for EO in Moldova since the beginning of the 1990s. 20 The EO content of all the studied species was between 0.1% and 0.3% of the fresh phytomass, and was comparable with the usual values of 0.2-0.5% found for Mentha species by other authors who extracted EO from fresh phytomass. 21 -24 No other information related to the EO content of the fresh phytomass has been found.…”

“…The phytomass yield values found for the Mentha species were lower than the ∼2.3 kg m −2 values that have been reported by other authors for menthol mint ( M. arvensis L.) , . No specific data are known for C. nepeta , even though it has been cultivated for the herb in the Latium Region and for EO in Moldova since the beginning of the 1990s …”

Effects of solvent‐free microwave extraction on the chemical composition of essential oil of Calamintha nepeta (L.) Savi compared with the conventional production method

“…: Satureja calamintha (L.) Scheele, Satureja nepeta (L.) Scheele) is a perennial aromatic plant which belongs to the Lamiaceae family [9]. Numerous members of this family are used as spice, and are also employed in folk medicine in diverse traditions.…”

Essential Oils of TwoCalamintha glandulosa(Req.) Bentham chemotypes in a Wild Population from Zakynthos, Greece

“…Plants of the genus Calamintha are used traditionally throughout the Mediterranean area as a flavouring for food and as medicinal plants with antiseptic, antispasmodic, diaphoretic and expectorant properties (1). Recently, Calamintha essential oils have been reported to have antimicrobial activity (2)(3)(4), antifungal activity (5) and preservative properties in cosmetic products (6).…”