''Minthostachys mollis'' is a

medicinal plant Medicinal plants, also called medicinal herbs, have been discovered and used in traditional medicine practices since prehistoric times. Plants synthesize hundreds of chemical compounds for various functions, including Plant defense against h ...

restricted to the South American

Andes The Andes ( ), Andes Mountains or Andean Mountain Range (; ) are the List of longest mountain chains on Earth, longest continental mountain range in the world, forming a continuous highland along the western edge of South America. The range ...

from

Peru Peru, officially the Republic of Peru, is a country in western South America. It is bordered in the north by Ecuador and Colombia, in the east by Brazil, in the southeast by Bolivia, in the south by Chile, and in the south and west by the Pac ...

Bolivia Bolivia, officially the Plurinational State of Bolivia, is a landlocked country located in central South America. The country features diverse geography, including vast Amazonian plains, tropical lowlands, mountains, the Gran Chaco Province, w ...

. It is the most variable and widely distributed species of the genus ''

Minthostachys ''Minthostachys'' is a genus of the mint family Lamiaceae, comprising aromatic scandent shrubs. It occurs along the Andes from Northern Venezuela through Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia to Central Argentina. Use and conservation The plants a ...

''. Its common name ''muña'' comes from

Quechua Quechua may refer to: *Quechua people, several Indigenous ethnic groups in South America, especially in Peru *Quechuan languages, an Indigenous South American language family spoken primarily in the Andes, derived from a common ancestral language ...

. Other local names include ''tipo'', ''tipollo'', ''poleo''.

Medicinal uses

In the

indigenous medicine Traditional medicine (also known as indigenous medicine or folk medicine) refers to the knowledge, skills, and practices rooted in the cultural beliefs of various societies, especially Indigenous groups, used for maintaining health and treatin ...

traditions of the

, the plant is made into tea and used medicinally as a carminative and

aphrodisiac An aphrodisiac is a substance that increases libido, sexual desire, sexual attraction, sexual pleasure, or sexual behavior. These substances range from a variety of plants, spices, and foods to synthetic chemicals. Natural aphrodisiacs, such as ...

Chemical characteristics

The principal components of

essential oil An essential oil is a concentrated hydrophobic liquid containing volatile (easily evaporated at normal temperatures) chemical compounds from plants. Essential oils are also known as volatile oils, ethereal oils, aetheroleum, or simply as the ...

are as follows: *

pulegone Pulegone is a naturally occurring organic compound obtained from the essential oils of a variety of plants such as ''Nepeta cataria'' (catnip), ''Mentha piperita'', and Mentha pulegium, pennyroyal. It is classified as a monoterpene, monoterpenoid ...

menthone Menthone is a chemical compound of the monoterpene class of naturally occurring organic compounds found in a number of essential oils, one that presents with minty flavor. It is a specific pair of stereoisomers of the four possible such isomers ...

menthol Menthol is an organic compound, specifically a Monoterpene, monoterpenoid, that occurs naturally in the oils of several plants in the Mentha, mint family, such as Mentha arvensis, corn mint and peppermint. It is a white or clear waxy crystallin ...

*(−)- β-pinene *(−)- α-pinene *

limonene Limonene () is a colorless liquid aliphatic hydrocarbon classified as a cyclic monoterpene, and is the major component in the essential oil of citrus fruit peels. The (+)-isomer, occurring more commonly in nature as the fragrance of oranges, ...

* isomenthone *

piperic acid Piperic acid is a chemical often obtained by the base-hydrolysis of the alkaloid piperine from black pepper, followed by acidification of the corresponding salt. Piperic acid is an intermediate in the synthesis of other compounds such as piperonal ...

eucalyptol Eucalyptol (also called cineole) is a monoterpenoid colorless liquid, and a bicyclic ether. It has a fresh camphor-like odor and a spicy, cooling taste. It is insoluble in water, but miscible with organic solvents. Eucalyptol makes up about ...

carvone Carvone is a member of a family of chemicals called terpenoids. Carvone is found naturally in many essential oils, but is most abundant in the oils from seeds of caraway (''Carum carvi''), spearmint (''Mentha spicata''), and dill. Uses Food appli ...

In the flowering tops 19 compounds were identified in the essential oil, predominantly 29%

neomenthol Menthol is an organic compound, specifically a Monoterpene, monoterpenoid, that occurs naturally in the oils of several plants in the Mentha, mint family, such as Mentha arvensis, corn mint and peppermint. It is a white or clear waxy crystallin ...

, 24%

, 20%

, and 8%

piperitone Piperitone is a natural monoterpene ketone which is a component of some essential oils. Both stereoisomers, the D-form and the L-form, are known. The D-form has a peppermint-like aroma and has been isolated from the oils of plants from the gene ...

References

External links

* Lamiaceae Flora of Ecuador Medicinal plants of South America {{Lamiaceae-stub