Comparative Essential oil Composition of Leaves of Mentha rotundifolia and Mentha pulegium a Traditional Herbal Medicine in Morocco

The essential oil of the leaves of Mentha rotundifolia and Mentha pulegium grown in Morocco was determined by hydro-distillation method and analysed by gas chromatography (GC) and gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC-MS).The identified components constituting 90.40% and 97.34% of the total oil of Mentha rotundifolia and Mentha pulegium respectively. thirty two volatile constituents were identified in leaves oil of Mentha rotundifolia and the main constituents of the essential oil, were menthol (40.50%), other predominant constituents were: menthone (5.0%), menthyl acetate (4.50%), menthofuran (4.20%), oxyde de piperitone (3.80%), linalyl acetate (3.50%), neomenthol (3.20%), piperitone (3.10%), isomenthone (2.50%), 1,8-cineole (2.40%), linalool (2.0%), limonene (1.80%), geraniol (1.70%), myrcene (1.60%), geranyl acetate (1.50%) and trans-Sabinene hydrate (1.40%). Twenty eight compounds were identified in leaves oil of Mentha pulegium and the major component was piperitone (35.56%), other predominant constituents were: piperitenone (21.18%), α-terpineol (10.89%), pulegone (6.452%), pipéritone oxide (4.02%), menthol (3.28%), menthone (3.09%), neomenthol (2.80%), menthofuran (2.15%), isomenthone (1.56%), carvone (1.13%), geranyl acétate (1.06%), germacrène D (1.03%) and limonène (1.02%).