Essence of plants are usually perfumed oils which correspond to a wide group of water insoluble organic substances and mostly contain a lot of terpenes. Oxidation of terpene hydrocarbons produces some materials such as alcohols, ketons, phenol and phenolic ethers. These oxygenated material have responsibility of perfume and pharmaceutical properties of essence.
Spearmint is one of the perfumed plants which accuounts quite a few pharmaceutical and edible applications. Its odour arises form a matter called Menthol which is responsible of the properties of spearmint.
Menthol, 5 methyl -2- isopropyl cyclohexanol, is a alcohol with molecular stracture of C10H20O and 176 gr/ mole. The nautral menthol is levorotatory or racemic and its melting and boiling points are 44 and 216oC respectively. It dissolves in different organic solvents such as alcohol, ether, chloroform, petroleum ether and glacial acetic acid, but it is mostly insoluble in water.
Extraction and purification of menthol from the essence of spearmint have been investigated in this project the best system of solvent mixture have been purposed for purification by column.