Essential oil composition of Mentha x piperita L. from different environments of north India

The performance of Mentha x piperita L. in terms of essential oil production at different altitudes has been evaluated. Culture locations included Batote (altitude 1900 m) and Jammu (300 m) of Jammu & Kashmir State, and Palampur (1290 m) of Himachal Pradesh, in north India. All the sites showed variable thermal gradients and exhibited greater ecological amplitude. The yield of fresh material (> 20 tonnes/ha) and the production of essential oils (> 60 kg/ha) were satisfactory. All the three environments were found to be adequate for cultivation of peppermint with acceptable amounts of menthol. Compared to oils from Batote and Palampur, oil from Jammu was of superior quality due to the optimal concentration of menthol (64.0%) and menthyl acetate (9.2%) and the low amount of menthofuran (trace). Copyright (C) 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.