Effects of increased UV light on monoterpenes in Mentha peperita L.

• In Event: Poster Presentation and Judging for: Anthropology; Botany; Conservation Ecology; Environmental Science; Freshwater Science; Geosciences; Mathematics & Computer Science; Neuroscience; Physics & Eng; Science Education; Terrestrial Ecology & Management.
  In Poster Session: Botany Poster Session

Abstract

Essential oils from plants have been used medicinally since antiquity, including their use as treatments of many infectious diseases. Studies of activity against different strains of bacteria show that peppermint (Mentha peperita L.) extract can act as an antibacterial agent. Peppermint extracts are also used to treat digestive problems and as tonics. Increasing the concentration of monoterpenes in peppermint plants could increase their effectiveness. Prior work suggests that increasing exposure to UV-B light increases the density and productivity of glandular trichomes on the leaves of M. peperita and we specifically examined the effects of UV-B radiation on the yield of monoterpenoid compounds in these glands. We cultured clones of peppermint under two light regimes, one including UV-B light, for several weeks under otherwise controlled conditions in a growth chamber. Analysis of the concentrations of monoterpenes in the two treatments will determine the effect of UV-B light on their production and potentially yield information about enhanced use of peppermint extracts in a variety of settings. Future research will be directed toward determining specific steps in monoterpene regulation, so that monoterpene expression can be amplified.

Author

• Joshua Rios, St. Edward's University