Water mint (Mentha aquatica); water mint
Perennial herbaceous plant of the labiumaceae family. The stem is ascending, four-sided, pubescent or almost bare, branched. 20-80 cm tall. The leaves are opposite, petiolate, ovate or oblong-ovate, rounded or broadly wedge-shaped at the base, obtusely pointed at the apex, serrate, glabrous or pubescent. The flowers are small, hairy, in rings, which are placed in the axils of the bracts, which do not exceed the rings, and form inflorescences in the form of spherical or oval heads at the top of the stems; calyx regular, corolla pink or pink-lilac, almost regular, funnel-shaped, with a 4-lobed bend. The fruit consists of 4 one-seeded nut-shaped lobes. Blooms from July to September.
Distribution . Water mint grows throughout Ukraine (rarely in the Crimea) on the banks of reservoirs and in water on muddy soils.
Procurement and storage . For medical purposes, water mint herb (Herba Menthae aquaticae) is used, which is harvested during the flowering of the plant by cutting the leafy parts of the stem in the morning. The collected grass is dried under shelter in the open air or in a ventilated room. 14-15% of dry grass is obtained. Ready raw materials are stored in well-closed cans or cans. The validity period is 1 year.
The plant is unofficial .
Chemical composition . Dried water mint contains essential oil (up to 1%), tannins (7%), linolenic, linoleic, butyric, myristic, palmitic and other acids and potassium nitrate. The main components of the essential oil are free linalool (approx. 36%), linalyl acetate (approx. 10%), carvone and sesquiterpenes. There is no menthol in the essential oil of water mint.
Pharmacological properties and use . In folk medicine, water mint is used in almost the same way as peppermint. Most often, an infusion of water mint is used as a choleretic agent, for gastrointestinal disorders, for pain and spasms in the stomach and intestines, for flatulence and diarrhea, and for palpitations. For stomach aches, water mint is considered more effective than peppermint. Externally, in the form of an ointment, mint is used to heal wounds and treat cervical erosion.
Medicinal forms and applications . Internally – infusion of the herb (2 tablespoons of raw material per 200 ml of boiling water) 1 glass per day in sips (drink warm!).