Genetic Diversity and Essential Oil Composition of some Mentha species.

This study investigated the physiological, biochemical, and genetic characteristics of various mintspecies, focusing on chlorophyll content, essential oil composition, and genetic relationships. Assessmentof total chlorophyll content using SPAD revealed significant variability among species as Menthasuaveolens exhibiting the highest levels (36.6) however M. piperita had the lowest value (28.0). Essentialoil analysis by GC-MS highlighted the presence of monoterpenes and sesquiterpenes in lowconcentrations across the species. Notably, M. piperita uniquely contained germacrene D, while M.suaveolens showed the highest amounts of β-caryophyllene. Dominant oxygenated monoterpenes wereidentified, with M. spicata rich in carvone (70.979%) and M. longifolia in menthol (21.851%). Geneticanalysis using the ITS region yielded unique bands for all species, revealing varying degrees of geneticsimilarity with M. spicata and M. longifolia demonstrating the closest genetic relationship. Overall, thefindings indicated a complex interplay between SAPD, essential oil composition diversity, and geneticrelationships in Mentha species.