SEARCH · Search PubMed

Results for “Menthol”

Search indexed PubMed citations on genomics, clinical trials, systematic reviews and public health. Explore titles, authors and supplied subject terms, then open the PubMed record.

SourceResearch connectionFrom yearThrough year

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 145 records · Page 8Linked to original sources

PubMed1991

Use of mentholated cigarettes and lung cancer risk.

Black males have higher age-adjusted lung cancer incidence rates compared to white males, and blacks of both sexes have higher rates of increase in lung cancer incidence over past decades. The majority of black smokers smoke mentholated cigarettes. These observations prompted us to assess the effect of smoking mentholated cigarettes on lung cancer risk, using data from a hospital-based case-control study of tobacco-related cancers. Analysis was restricted to current cigarette smokers and was carried out on 588 male lung cancer cases and 914 male control patients and on 456 female lung cancer cases and 410 female controls interviewed between 1985 and 1990. The prevalence of menthol usage did not differ between cases and controls of either sex. No significant association was observed between either short-term (1-14 years) or long-term (15+ years) menthol use and lung cancer in logistic regression analyses adjusting for covariates. For specific histological types of lung cancer there was no indication of an association with menthol usage.

Adult↗

PubMed1979

Bioassay of dl-menthol for possible carcinogenicity.

A bioassay of dl-menthol for possible carcinogenicity was conducted by administering the test chemical in feed to Fischer 344 rats and B6C3F1 mice. Groups of 50 rats of each sex and 50 mice of each sex were administered dl-menthol at one of the following doses, either 3,750 or 7,500 ppm for the rats and either 2,000 or 4,000 ppm for the mice, for 103 weeks, then observed for 1 or 2 additional weeks. Matched controls consisted of 50 untreated rats of each sex and 50 untreated mice of each sex. All surviving rats were killed at 105 weeks and all surviving mice at 104 weeks. Mean body weights of dosed rats and mice were only slightly lower than those of corresponding controls. No other clinical signs related to administration of the dl-menthol were noted in the dosed groups of animals. A dose-related trend in mortality was observed only in the female mice. Survival at the end of the bioassay was at least 62% in all dosed and control groups of animals of each species, and sufficient numbers of animals were at risk for the development of late-appearing tumors. In male rats, no tumors occurred at incidences which were considered to be related to the administration of dl-menthol. In female rats, no tumors occurred at higher incidences in the dosed groups than in the control groups. Fibroadenomas of the mammary gland occurred at lower incidences in the low-dose (10/49) and high-dose (7/49) groups than in the control group (20/50), and alveolar/bronchiolar adenomas or carcinomas of the lung occurred only in the controls (3/50). In mice of either sex, no tumors occurred in dosed groups at incidences that were significantly different from those for corresponding control groups. It is concluded that under the conditions of this bioassay, dl-menthol was not carcinogenic for either Fischer 344 rats or B6C3F1 mice.

Journal Article↗

PubMed2002

Analysis of menthol in three traditional Chinese medicinal herbs and their compound formulation by GC-MS.

A GC-MS method was developed for identification and determination of menthol in three traditional Chinese medicinal herbs and their compound formulation, a granule for treating colds. Volatile oil was simultaneously distilled and extracted into ethyl ether in a unique glass extractor. The separation was performed on an HP-5 MS column. The standard addition method was used for quantitative determination of menthol content in herbal materials and in the granule. A component in the samples was chosen as the internal standard. The contents were calculated with the ratio of peak area percentage. Menthol was identified as the main component in Mentha haplocalyx Briq., and also existed in spikes of Schizonepeta tenuifolia Briq., Folium perilla frutescens (L.) Britt. and granules. The quantitative calibration range was 0.21-10.5 mg/mL. Good precision was demonstrated by an RSD < 4.0%. The mean content of menthol in Mentha haplocalyx Briq., spikes of Schizonepeta tenuifolia Briq., Folium perilla frutescens (L.) Britt. and granules was 121, 0.234, 1.03 and 1.84 mg/kg respectively.

Calibration↗

PubMed1994

Effect of menthol on cytosolic Ca2+ levels in canine airway epithelium in culture.

Intracellular Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i) in canine cultured tracheal epithelium in response to cyclic alcohols was measured by a fura-2 method. Menthol rapidly increased [Ca2+]i in a concentration-dependent fashion, the maximal increase from the baseline levels and the concentration of menthol required to produce a half-maximal effect (EC50) being 148 +/- 23 nM (mean +/- SE, p < 0.001) and 0.3 mM, respectively, whereas other cyclic alcohols including menthone and cyclohexanol had no effect. The menthol-induced increase in [Ca2+]i was not affected by verapamil but partially inhibited by low Ca2+ medium in the presence of EGTA. These results indicate that menthol specifically increases cytosolic Ca2+ in airway epithelium, which may be derived from intracellular Ca2+ stores.

Animals↗

PubMed2004

[Menthol in the adjuvant treatment of gallbladder stones fragmented by ESWL as an option for reducing doses of urso- and chenodeoxycholic acid].

BACKGROUND: Assessments of the litholytic activity of terpenes in the conservative treatment of gallstone disease vary. Achievement of a stone-free state through dissolution of residual fragments after extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL) is a suitable model for investigating the litholytic activity of menthol. PATIENTS AND METHODS: After ESWL in patients with symptomatic gallbladder stones, the litholytic efficacy of the standard therapy of 125 mg urso-/chenodeoxycholic acid (UDC/CDC) per 25 kg body weight (UDC + CDC) was compared with that of 62.5 mg UDC/CDC plus 125 mg menthol (M) per 25 kg body weight (M + UDC + CDC). 70 patients were treated with M + UDC + CDC (n = 36) or UDC + CDC (n = 34) in a double-blind design. RESULTS: 19 of 34 patients (55.9%) in the UDC + CDC group became stonefree in an average period of 5.9 months, compared with 17 out of 36 patients (47.2%) in the M + UDC + CDC group in 8.8 months. Although the patients on UDC + CDC became stone-free significantly more quickly (p = max [p1,p2] = 0.4717), there was no relevant statistical difference in the total number of stone-free patients between the two treatment groups. After subtraction of the patients who terminated the study prematurely, significantly larger numbers of stone-free patients under the standard therapy were found at 9 and 12 months (16 : 9 and 19 : 12, respectively), while at the other time points no significant difference was found. Before ESWL, seven of 25 patients in the menthol group had two or more stones, while in the group treated with the standard therapy this was only the case in two patients. Five patients had mild calcification on admission to the study, four of whom received M + UDC + CDC. CONCLUSION: Overall, patients become stone-free more quickly on the standard UDC + CDC therapy. However, after subtraction of the patients who discontinued the study prematurely it can be seen that this results from significantly higher numbers of stone-free patients at 9 and 12 months, so that over the entire observation period-and in consideration of the less favorable stone parameters in the menthol group-there is no substantial statistically relevant difference in the efficacy of the two treatments.

Adult↗

PubMed1983

The toxicity of menthol in short-term bioassays.

The toxicity of menthol was studied on 4 different in vitro systems covering organ, cellular and subcellular levels. The 50% inhibitory concentration (IC50) for the cellular and subcellular systems ranged from 0.32 mM to 0.76 mM. At a concentration of 0.5 mM menthol the receptor mediated respiratory stimulation of isolated brown adipocytes was markedly inhibited while the intracellular mitochondrial functions were still unaffected. However, using isolated rat liver mitochondria 0.5 mM menthol was found to cause increase in the 'state 4' respiratory rate and osmotic swelling, indicating a leakage of the mitochondrial membrane. We therefore suggest that one effect of menthol is a deterioration of biological membranes. For the determination of the cellular toxicity of foreign compounds isolated brown adipocytes represents a convenient and sensitive model, providing the possibility to localize the primary site of action in terms of mitochondrial or extramitochondrial level.

Adipose Tissue, Brown↗

PubMed1994

Sensory irritation and coolness produced by menthol: evidence for selective desensitization of irritation.

The temporal characteristics of the oral perception of menthol solutions were explored in two experiments. In Experiment 1, 10 samples of either 0.03% or 0.30% menthol were presented at 1 min intervals and rated for the perceived intensity of cooling and irritation. Reports of sensation quality (burning, tingling, stinging and numbing) and pain were also collected. At the higher concentration, a significant decrease in perceived intensity was observed over time for irritation, but not for cooling. Experiment 2 was designed to explore further the nature of the decline in irritation observed in Experiment 1. Employing 1-min and 5-min inter-stimulus intervals between solutions, it was found that the decrease in menthol irritation more closely resembled desensitization than adaptation. Decreases in the frequency of reports of the burning and stinging qualities, but not the tingling, numbing or cooling qualities, suggested that menthol has a specific desensitizing effect on a population of mucosal nociceptive fibers.

Adult↗

PubMed1992

Menthol in the upper airway depresses ventilation in newborn dogs.

Upper airway cooling depresses ventilation in the newborn dog. Since airway cooling stimulates laryngeal cold receptors and inhibits laryngeal mechanoreceptors, the type of afferent ending responsible for this reflex cannot be easily identified. l-menthol, a specific stimulant of cold receptors in the absence of any cooling, has been used to ascertain the discrete role of upper airway cold receptors in this ventilatory depression. Experiments were carried out in 8 anesthetized 7-14-day-old dogs breathing through a tracheostomy with the upper airway functionally isolated. Constant flows of warm air (37 degrees C), with and without addition of l-menthol, and cold air (25 degrees C) were delivered through the upper airway in the expiratory direction. As compared to warm air trials, cold air and warm air + l-menthol trials greatly reduced ventilation (57.5 +/- 10.7% and 52.8 +/- 11.7% of control, respectively; P less than 0.01) mostly due to a prolongation of Te (291.2 +/- 106.4% and 339.2 +/- 90.0%, respectively, P less than 0.01). Section of the superior laryngeal nerve abolished the response to cold air. However, a residual depressive effect of l-menthol was still present in 3 of 5 animals and was abolished by nasal anesthesia, suggesting the involvement of nasal cold receptors. The results suggest that in the newborn dog stimulation of laryngeal cold receptors, without any concurrent inhibition of laryngeal mechanoreceptors, is a sufficient stimulus to cause respiratory depression.

Animals↗

PubMed1983

Short term toxicity study in rats dosed with pulegone and menthol.

Pulegone and menthol, components of peppermint oil, were investigated in rats. The substances were administered by gavage for 28 days at 0, 20, 80, 160 mg pulegone and 0, 200, 400, 800 mg menthol/kg body wt./day, respectively. At the two highest doses, pulegone induced atonia, decreased blood creatinine content, lowered terminal body weight and caused histopathological changes in the liver and in the white matter of cerebellum. For menthol at all dose levels a significant increase in absolute and relative liver weights and vacuolisation of hepatocytes was found. No sign of encephalopathy was observed in rats given menthol. The no effect level for pulegone was 20 mg/kg body wt./day and for menthol less than 200 mg/kg body wt./day.

Animals↗

PubMed2005

Optimization of water and nitrogen application to menthol mint (Mentha arvensis L.) through sugarcane trash mulch in a sandy loam soil of semi-arid subtropical climate.

Studies were carried out to optimize the use of water and nutrients by the crop with three moisture regimes [0.9, 1.2 and 1.5 irrigation water:cumulative pan evaporation (IW:CPE) ratios], two variables of organic mulch (control and sugarcane trash at 7 t/ha) and three levels of nitrogen (0, 100 and 200 kg/ha). Soil moisture regimes maintained at 1.2 IW:CPE ratio significantly increased the crop growth and herb and essential oil yields as compared with that of 0.9 IW:CPE ratio. The increase in herb yield due to 1.5 and 1.2 IW:CPE ratios was recorded to be 28.5% and 19%, respectively, over the irrigation given at 0.9 IW:CPE ratio, with the corresponding increase in essential oil yield to the extent of 23.5% and 15.5%. Interaction effect of moisture regimes and nitrogen rates indicated that increasing levels of irrigation at the highest level of N (200 kg/ha) improved essential oil yield of the crop. Application of N at 200 kg/ha in the mulched plots significantly enhanced the N uptake by the crop and essential oil yield over the control and 100 kg N/ha applied in the mulched/or unmulched plots and 200 kg N/ha applied in the unmulched plots. Application of organic mulch and nitrogen at 200 kg/ha improved the water use efficiency (WUE) in menthol mint crop. Higher moisture regimes maintained up to 1.2 IW:CPE ratio increased the WUE. The quality of essential oil in terms of its major constituent, menthol, improved slightly with 1.2 IW:CPE ratio as compared to 0.9 and 1.5 IW:CPE ratios at first and second harvests of the crop. It is recommended that menthol mint crop could be grown profitably by providing 16 irrigations, that is 80 cm water (based on 1.2 IW:CPE ratio) and nitrogen at 200 kg/ha in the sugarcane trash mulched plots, which could give a highest benefit:cost ratio from menthol mint cropping.

Agriculture↗

PubMed1999

In vitro inhibition of liver monooxygenases by beta-ionone, 1,8-cineole, (-)-menthol and terpineol.

The present study was undertaken to investigate the inhibitory effects of beta-ionone, (-)-menthol, 1,8-cineole and alpha-terpineol on liver microsomal enzymes involved in the biotransformation of xenobiotic substances. The effects of beta-ionone and the foregoing monoterpenoid compounds on the activity of pentoxyresorufin-O-depentilase (PROD), a selective marker for CYP2B1, were determined in a pool of liver microsomes prepared from phenobarbital-treated rats. On the other hand, the inhibitory effects of these substances on the activities of ethoxyresorufin-O-deethylase (EROD), a marker for CYP1A1, and methoxyresorufin-O-demethylase (MROD), a marker for CYP1A2, were investigated in a pool of hepatic microsomes from beta-naphthoflavone-treated rats. Beta-ionone caused a concentration-related reduction of PROD activity with an IC50 value as low as 0.03 microM. The analysis of alterations produced by beta-ionone on PROD kinetic parameters (Lineweaver-Burk double-reciprocal plot) suggested that inhibition is non-competitive (Ki = 89.9 nM). Although being less potent than beta-ionone, 1,8-cineole (IC50 = 4.7 microM), (-)-menthol (IC50 = 10.6 microM) and terpineol (IC50 = 14.8 microM) also proved to be in vitro inhibitors of PROD reaction. Results also revealed that beta-ionone was a weak inhibitor of EROD (IC50 >100 microM) and MROD (IC50 >200 microM). Neither 1,8-cineole nor terpineol--tested in concentrations up to 150 microM--caused any decrease of EROD activity while (-)-menthol, at a concentration as high as 160 microM, produced only a slight reduction of the reaction rate. Terpineol (up to 150 microM) did not induce any reduction of MROD activity while 1,8-cineole (IC50 >300 microM) and (-)-menthol (IC50 >300 microM) caused only slight decreases of the reaction rate. The potent inhibitory effects on CYP2B1 suggest that beta-ionone, and the other monoterpenoids tested, may interfere with the metabolism of xenobiotics which are substrates for this isoenzyme.

Animals↗

PubMed2002

Ion channels activated by cold and menthol in cultured rat dorsal root ganglion neurones.

A cold- and menthol-activated ionic current has been described in sensory neurones, which probably has a role in temperature sensing. Here we describe the ion channels underlying this current. Cooling activated non-selective cation channels (conductance, about 22 pS; reversal potential, -4.2 mV) in outside-out patches from cold-sensitive rat dorsal root ganglion neurones, and their activity was strongly increased by menthol. The activation threshold was 17.9 degrees C, shifting to 24.3 degrees C in 100 microM (-)-menthol, about 10 degrees C colder than observed in intact neurones. Channels in excised patches did not adapt to sustained cooling, unlike the current in intact neurones. We conclude that the ion channels underlying the cold- and menthol-induced current are directly activated by these stimuli, although other modulatory factors appear to be important in determining threshold and adaptation.

Adaptation, Physiological↗

PubMed2002

Factors affecting the resolution of dl-menthol by immobilized lipase-catalyzed esterification in organic solvent.

Among 10 lipases tested, Candida rugosa lipase exhibited the best ability to catalyze the resolution of dl-menthol in organic solvent. The lipase was immobilized on different carriers, and the experiment was carried out with different acyl donors. The high yield and optical purity of the product were achieved in cyclohexane with valeric acid as acyl donor using C. rugosa lipase immobilized on DEAE-Sephadex A-25. The conversion of dl-menthol depended on the water content of immobilized lipase and on the pH of the aqueous solution from which lipase was immobilized. The operational stability of the DEAE-Sephadex A-25 immobilized lipase in catalysis of the esterification reaction showed that >85% activity remained after 34 days of repeated use. The resolution of racemic menthol in organic medium catalyzed by immobilized C. rugosa lipase-catalyzed esterification is very convenient, and it represents a significant improvement in the use of enzyme for the preparative production of optically active menthol. This process is readily applicable to large-scale preparation.

Candida↗

PubMed1999

Biotransformation of (+)- and (-)-menthol by the larvae of common cutworm (Spodoptera litura).

(+)-Menthol was mixed in an artificial diet at a concentration of 1 mg/g of diet, and the diet was fed to the last instar larvae of common cutworm (Spodoptera litura). Metabolites were recovered from frass and analyzed spectroscopically. (+)-Menthol was transformed mainly to (+)-7-hydroxymenthol. Similarly, (-)-menthol was transformed mainly to (-)-7-hydroxymenthol. The C-7 position of (+)- and (-)-menthol was preferentially oxidized.

Animals↗

PubMed2001

Local anaesthetic activity of (+)- and (-)-menthol.

In this work we studied the local anaesthetic activity of (+)- and (-)-menthol, a substance used after topical application to induce a feeling of coolness. We compared its activity to two chemically related compounds thymol and (-)-menthone. Anaesthetic activity was evaluated in vivo in the rabbit conjunctival reflex test and in vitro in a rat phrenic nerve hemidiaphragm preparation. Both enatiomers of menthol (10(-4)-1 micrograms/ml), but not thymol and (-)-menthone, were able to drastically reduce, in a dose-dependent manner, the electrically evoked contractions of rat phrenic hemidiaphragm. In the rabbit conjunctival reflex test, treatment with a solution of (+)- and (-)-menthol (30-100 micrograms/ml) allowed a dose-dependent increase in the number of stimuli necessary to provoke the reflex, thus confirming in vivo the local anaesthetic activity observed in vitro. Similar to the in vitro results, thymol and (-)-menthone were ineffective also in the in vivo test. In conclusion, these data evidence the local anaesthetic activity of menthol, which appears to be strictly dependent on its chemical structure.

Anesthetics, Local↗

PubMed2006

Are menthol cigarettes a starter product for youth?

This study assessed the relationship between menthol use and nicotine dependence. Data from the National Youth Tobacco Survey indicated that menthol cigarette use was significantly more common among newer, younger smokers. Additionally, youth who smoked menthol cigarettes had significantly higher scores on a scale of nicotine dependence compared with nonmenthol smokers, controlling for demographic background and the length, frequency, and level of smoking. The study suggests that menthol cigarettes are a starter product that may be associated with smoking uptake by youth.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2003

Menthol cigarettes and risk of lung cancer.

The authors analyzed data from a multihospital case-control study in the eastern United States to evaluate the hypothesis that smoking menthol cigarettes increases lung cancer risk compared with smoking nonmenthol cigarettes. Subjects included cases with lung cancer and controls admitted for conditions unrelated to smoking who were aged 40-74 years, were interviewed from 1981 to 2000, and had smoked for >or=20 years. Information was available on the brand and type of cigarette smoked most recently and for the longest time. Analyses were based on 643 cases and 4,110 controls for whom brand information was available for >or=60% of the total duration of smoking. Logistic regression was used to estimate the relative risk of lung cancer according to number of years of menthol cigarette use (>15, 1-15, 0), adjusting for demographic and smoking-related factors. The lung cancer risk for long-term smokers of menthol cigarettes was similar to that for smokers of nonmenthol cigarettes (odds ratio = 0.97, 95% confidence interval: 0.70, 1.34). Odds ratios were also close to 1.0 in separate analyses of male, female, Black, and White subjects. The results of this study do not support the hypothesis that smoking menthol cigarettes increases the risk of lung cancer relative to smoking nonmenthol cigarettes.

Adult↗

PubMed1990

The effects of oral administration of (-)-menthol on nasal resistance to airflow and nasal sensation of airflow in subjects suffering from nasal congestion associated with the common cold.

The effects of oral administration of a lozenge containing 11 mg (-)-menthol on nasal resistance to airflow (NAR) and nasal sensation of airflow in 62 subjects suffering from nasal congestion associated with naturally acquired common cold infection have been studied. NAR was measured by posterior rhinomanometry and nasal sensation of airflow by means of a visual analogue scale (VAS). The effects of the lozenge were compared with a candy placebo lozenge in a double blind randomized trial. NAR showed a significant increase (P less than 0.05) in both the menthol and placebo groups over the 2 h experiment with no difference between the groups at any time. The VAS scores showed significant changes of subjective improvement in nasal sensation of airflow (P less than 0.001) in the menthol-treated group 10 min after dosing whereas the placebo group showed no change. It is concluded that dosing with 11 mg menthol in subjects with common cold has no effect on NAR as measured by posterior rhinomanometry but causes a marked change in nasal sensation of airflow with a subjective sensation of nasal decongestion.

Administration, Oral↗