Presents an in-depth look at the genus Mentha, providing information on its history, production, chemical constituents, market trends, and medicinal and nutritional uses. This book covers the complex aspects of the cultivation, processing, and quality assessment of the different types of mint.

The influence of these quantitative differences is explored in chapters on characterization, selection, and quality control methods including gas chromatographic profiles. The practice of ameliorating these variations with diluted or adulterated blends to produce a consistent product characteristic is also evaluated. The final portion of the book examines the role mint plays in the pharmaceutical, personal and oral care, aromatherapy, and flavor industries including confections, tobacco, and alcohol. With extensive information from internationally known experts in their field, "Mint: The Genus Mentha" is an invaluable companion for all those actively engaged in the research, cultivation, marketing, or product development of mint.

Mentha: An Overview of its Classification and Relationships, Anatomy, Physiology, Biosynthesis, Molecular Biology, Tissue Culture and Biotechnology of Mint Essential Oil Production, Commercial Mint Species Grown in the United States, The Cultivation of Mints in India, Production of Mint in China, The Distillation of Mint Oils, The Composition of Commercially Important Mints, Oil Composition of the Other Mentha Species and Hybrids, World Production and Quality Control of Mint Oils and Their Commercially Important Isolates, Natural and Synthetic Menthol, The Genuineness of Mint Oils, Biological and Toxicological Properties of Mint Oils and Their Major Isolates: Safety Assessment, Antimicrobial Activity of Essential Oils and Constituents of Mentha Species, Mentha: Economic Uses