Salt effects on the quality and recovery of Mentha pulegium L. essential oil

Effects of four different salts, sodium chloride, sodium carbonate, calcium chloride and calcium carbonate used as additives in the water distillation process, on the essential oil quality and recovery of Mentha pulegium L. were evaluated. GC/MS analysis of oils revealed that salts application had considerable effects on the chemical constituents of distilled oil. Chemical constituents proportional variation was salt-dependant. Pulegone (39.1-45.3%) was the main common component of the oils with its high content detected in the control oil (hydrodistillation without any salt addition). Menthone (13.8-20.9%) was another major component with the highest amount related to calcium chloride. Compositional variation of other major components such as piperitenone oxide, isopulegol, 1,8-cineole, cis-piperitone epoxide and (E)-caryophyllene was greatly salt-dependant.