Characteristics of Japanese Mint Extracts Obtained by Subcritical-water Treatment

Shiori Nomura; Wei-Ju Lee; Masaaki Konishi; Tohru Saitoh; Miki Murata; Naofumi Ohtsu; Yasutaka Shimotori; Yoshihito Kohari; Yuichi Nagata; Tai-Ying Chiou

doi:10.3136/fstr.25.695

Original papers

Characteristics of Japanese Mint Extracts Obtained by Subcritical-water Treatment

Shiori Nomura, Wei-Ju Lee, Masaaki Konishi, Tohru Saitoh, Miki Murata, Naofumi Ohtsu, Yasutaka Shimotori, Yoshihito Kohari, Yuichi Nagata, Tai-Ying Chiou

Author information

Shiori Nomura
Department of Biotechnology and Environmental Chemistry, Kitami Institute of Technology
Wei-Ju Lee
School of Food Safety, Taipei Medical University
Masaaki Konishi
School of Regional Innovation and Social Design Engineering, Kitami Institute of Technology
Tohru Saitoh
School of Earth, Energy and Environmental Engineering, Kitami Institute of Technology
Miki Murata
School of Earth, Energy and Environmental Engineering, Kitami Institute of Technology
Naofumi Ohtsu
School of Earth, Energy and Environmental Engineering, Kitami Institute of Technology
Yasutaka Shimotori
School of Regional Innovation and Social Design Engineering, Kitami Institute of Technology
Yoshihito Kohari
School of Earth, Energy and Environmental Engineering, Kitami Institute of Technology
Yuichi Nagata
Kitami Hakka Tsusho Co., Ltd.
Tai-Ying Chiou Corresponding author
School of Regional Innovation and Social Design Engineering, Kitami Institute of Technology

Keywords: Japanese mint, subcritical water, DPPH radical scavenging activity, oligosaccharide, apocynin

JOURNAL FREE ACCESS

2019 Volume 25 Issue 5 Pages 695-703

DOI https://doi.org/10.3136/fstr.25.695

Details

Abstract

Japanese mint (Mentha arvensis) is a widely used herb for culinary, fragrant, and medicinal applications. In this study, useful substances were obtained from Japanese mint leaves by extraction using subcritical water (180 to 260 °C). The characteristics of the mint extracts, including carbohydrates, proteins, and phenolic content, as well as 2′,2′-diphenyl-1-picryhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activity were investigated. The highest carbohydrate content was obtained at 180 °C, while the highest amount of protein was obtained at 200 °C. A linear relationship was observed between the phenolic content and DPPH radical scavenging activity. Oligosaccharide was the most abundant sugar in the extracts, as determined by high performance liquid chromatography analysis. The presence of apocynin, a potent non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug, was identified by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and its content showed an exponential increase as the temperature was increased from 180 to 260 °C. This study provides practical information for applications of Japanese mint.

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