Mentha Citrata Oil

#### Mentha Citrata. Like most other "mints", the so-called "**Bergamot**** ****Mint**", the plant **Mentha**** ****Citrata**, originated in central and southern Europe. However, the only present-day cultivation of the plant and distillation of oil of commercial importance is carried out in the farwestern United States, particularly in the states of Oregon and Washington (Pacific Coast, inland). The fully grown plant is steam distilled locally, the annual production fluctuating between 2 and 15 metric tons. The present decline in the price of lavender oil, the abundance of lavandin oil, and the keen competition in the linalool/linalylacetatefield has limited interest in the oil of **Mentha**** ****Citrata**. Its main constituent is linalyl acetate. Produced similarly to peppermint oil, it is priced almost equal to that oil. Mentha citrata oil is a pale yellow or pale olive colored to almost water-white liquid of a sweetherbaceous, somewhat fruity-fresh odor type; it resembles bergamot, but is distinctly more harsh in its terpenic topnotes, less rich in body, and without the oily-sweet, candy-like undertone of good bergamot oils. On the other hand, mentha citrata oil presents a certain bergamot note without the citrus notes. This makes the oil more interesting in the lavender-fougère field. Its dryout has some resemblance to sage clary, but lacks the richness of that oil. The flavor of mentha citrata oil is sweet-fruity at low concentrations, but bitter-perfumery at higher levels. It is necessary to remove the monoterpenes from mentha citrata oil prior to its use in flavors. But since this operation yields an oil at about the same price level as bergamot oil, it is reasonable that the oil of mentha citrata has failed to catch the interest of the flavor industry. The oil itself is definitely not a flavor-body, but it could find use as a modifier in bergamot-candy flavors, etc. **Mentha Citrata Oil **could also find some use as an adulterant of sage clary and bergamot oils, lavender oil, petitgrain bigarade oil, etc., but the limited quantity available and the comparatively high cost of the oil does not invite large-scale operations of this kind. Besides, lavandin oil is fractionated commercially on a large scale. After acetylation of the selected fractions a very interesting perfume material is obtained. This material is an excellent "stretcher" for the above mentioned oils, and it is used more or less artistically by many supply houses in the industry. It is conceivable in view of the above that oil of **Mentha**** ****Citrata**** **may slowly disappear from the market unless it can be produced at a much lower cost, e.g. in another country.