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Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy =... Oct 2022Mentha (also known as peppermint), a genus of plants in the taxonomic family Lamiaceae (mint family), is widely distributed throughout temperate regions of the world.... (Review)
Review
Mentha (also known as peppermint), a genus of plants in the taxonomic family Lamiaceae (mint family), is widely distributed throughout temperate regions of the world. Mentha contains various constituents that are classified as peppermint essential oil (PEO) and non-essential components. PEO, consisting mainly of menthol, menthone, neomenthol and iso-menthone, is a mixture of volatile metabolites with anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antiviral, scolicidal, immunomodulatory, antitumor, neuroprotective, antifatigue and antioxidant activities. Mounting evidence indicates that PEO may pharmacologically protect gastrointestinal, liver, kidney, skin, respiratory, brain and nervous systems, and exert hypoglycemic and hypolipidemic effects. Clinically, PEO is used for gastrointestinal and dermatological diseases, postoperative adjuvant therapy and other fields. This review aims to address the advances in the extraction and isolation of PEO, its biological activities, pharmacological effects, toxicity and applications, with an emphasis on the efficacy of PEO on burn wounds and psoriasis, providing a comprehensive foundation for research, development and application of PEO in future.
Topics: Lamiaceae; Mentha piperita; Menthol; Oils, Volatile
PubMed: 35994817
DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2022.113559 -
Science (New York, N.Y.) Oct 2022The transient receptor potential melastatin 8 (TRPM8) channel is the primary molecular transducer responsible for the cool sensation elicited by menthol and cold in...
The transient receptor potential melastatin 8 (TRPM8) channel is the primary molecular transducer responsible for the cool sensation elicited by menthol and cold in mammals. TRPM8 activation is controlled by cooling compounds together with the membrane lipid phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PIP). Our knowledge of cold sensation and the therapeutic potential of TRPM8 for neuroinflammatory diseases and pain will be enhanced by understanding the structural basis of cooling agonist- and PIP-dependent TRPM8 activation. We present cryo-electron microscopy structures of mouse TRPM8 in closed, intermediate, and open states along the ligand- and PIP-dependent gating pathway. Our results uncover two discrete agonist sites, state-dependent rearrangements in the gate positions, and a disordered-to-ordered transition of the gate-forming S6-elucidating the molecular basis of chemically induced cool sensation in mammals.
Topics: Animals; Mice; Cold Temperature; Cryoelectron Microscopy; Ligands; Menthol; TRPM Cation Channels; Phosphatidylinositol 4,5-Diphosphate; Thermosensing; Ion Channel Gating; Protein Conformation; Pyrimidinones
PubMed: 36227998
DOI: 10.1126/science.add1268 -
International Journal of Environmental... Mar 2023Oral Nicotine Pouches (ONPs) are the new form of nicotine pouches that have become a type of emerging smokeless tobacco product sold by various tobacco companies. These... (Review)
Review
INTRODUCTION
Oral Nicotine Pouches (ONPs) are the new form of nicotine pouches that have become a type of emerging smokeless tobacco product sold by various tobacco companies. These smokeless tobacco products are marketed for usage all over as snus containing tobacco-derived nicotine (natural) or as tobacco-free nicotine (synthetic) as substitutes for other tobacco products. Based on perception and socio-behavioral aspects, ONPs have become popular tobacco products among adolescents/young adults, and over 50% of young adult users of ONP use flavored ONPs, such as menthol/mint, tobacco, dessert/candy, and fruity, which are the most popular flavors. Various new ONP flavors are currently popular locally as well as in the online market. Tobacco, menthol, and fruit-flavored ONPs could motivate cigarette smokers to change to ONPs.
METHODS
We expanded our knowledge on natural/synthetic ONP flavor wheels to available data on ONPs, describing, in detail, their flavors and brands (US and Europe) in both natural and synthetic ONP categories. We classified over 152 snus and 228 synthetic ONPs into the following flavor categories: "Tobacco", "Menthol/Mint", "Fruity", "Candy/Deserts", "Drink", "Aroma", "Spices", and "Mixed Flavors".
RESULTS
Based on total numbers, we found the most popular ONP flavors, sold as tobacco and menthol, to be among natural ONPs; among synthetic ONPs, fruity and menthol are the most prominent flavors, with varying concentrations of nicotine and other flavoring chemicals, including coolant WS-23. We also showed possible molecular targets and toxicities, due to exposure to ONPs, activating several signaling cascades such as AKT and NF-kappaB, which might possibly lead to apoptosis and epithelial mesenchymal transition (EMT).
CONCLUSIONS
Considering the marketing of ONP products with various flavor profiles and with most of these products containing tobacco/menthol/fruit flavor, it is likely to have regulation and a marketing disclaimer on some of these products. Further, it would be logical to determine how the market reacts in terms of compliance and non-compliance with flavor restrictions by the regulatory agencies.
Topics: Young Adult; Adolescent; Humans; Nicotine; Menthol; Flavoring Agents; Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems; Tobacco Products; Vaping; Perception
PubMed: 36901533
DOI: 10.3390/ijerph20054526 -
Journal of Addictive Diseases 2022Menthol cigarette use among women who smoke cigarettes during pregnancy is high, but little is known about the factors that contribute to preference for menthol...
BACKGROUND
Menthol cigarette use among women who smoke cigarettes during pregnancy is high, but little is known about the factors that contribute to preference for menthol cigarette use during pregnancy.
OBJECTIVE
This study investigated preferences, perceptions, and intentions to use menthol vs. non-menthol cigarettes in a sample of pregnant women.
METHODS
Pregnant women ( = 124, = 26.2 years, 50% minorities) completed a study investigating the impact of maternal smoking on biobehavioral markers of fetal risk. During the third trimester, participants self-reported preferences (liking, attractiveness, smoothness, interest), perceptions of harm (general, pregnancy-specific), and intentions to use menthol and non-menthol cigarettes. We examined differences in responses based on whether participants endorsed (1) cigarette use during pregnancy (yes/no) and (2) lifetime cigarette use (yes/no).
RESULTS
Sixty-two participants endorsed cigarette smoking during pregnancy (85.5% smoked menthol cigarettes), and 94 participants reported lifetime use. Overall, menthol cigarettes were perceived as more likeable and smoother vs. non-menthol (s < .001) - even among participants who never smoked cigarettes (s < .05). All participants rated both menthol and non-menthol cigarette use as harmful. Compared to participants who did not smoke during pregnancy, participants who smoked during pregnancy rated menthol cigarettes as less harmful for pregnant women ( = .001), while there were no differences between groups in harm perceptions toward non-menthol cigarettes.
CONCLUSIONS
Menthol may increase cigarettes appeal for pregnant women. Implications for regulation of menthol cigarettes are discussed. Future studies may investigate the role of sensory perception, marketing, and health education in influencing these factors.
Topics: Adult; Cigarette Smoking; Female; Humans; Intention; Male; Menthol; Pregnancy; Pregnant Women; Tobacco Products
PubMed: 34751106
DOI: 10.1080/10550887.2021.1981123 -
Nicotine & Tobacco Research : Official... Jan 2021To study the association between health care utilization and menthol cigarette use and whether the association differed between African American (AA) and non-AA smokers.
INTRODUCTION
To study the association between health care utilization and menthol cigarette use and whether the association differed between African American (AA) and non-AA smokers.
METHODS
We analyzed the three most recent 2005, 2010, and 2015 National Health Interview Survey Cancer Control Supplements. After incorporating propensity score weights adjusting for observed differences between menthol and non-menthol users, we estimated Zero-Inflated Poisson models on hospital nights, emergency department visits, doctor visits, and home visits as a function of menthol use status and other covariates separately for current cigarette smokers and recent quitters (former smokers quitting cigarette smoking ≤ 4 years).
RESULTS
Although current menthol smokers smoked fewer cigarettes per day than current non-menthol smokers, they did not differ from current non-menthol smokers in health care utilization. Among recent quitters, those who used to smoke menthol cigarettes had higher odds of having hospital nights than those who used to smoke non-menthol cigarettes. However, we did not find any significant association between menthol use and other health care utilization-emergency department visits, doctor visits, and home visits-among recent quitters. Moreover, compared with non-AA recent quitters, AA recent quitters had higher odds of having home visits, but fewer home visits, if they used to smoke menthol cigarettes.
CONCLUSION
Menthol use was associated with greater hospitalization among recent quitters, and the association between home visits and menthol use differed between AA and non-AA recent quitters.
IMPLICATIONS
This is the first study that used econometric models to study the association between health care utilization and menthol cigarette use and examine whether the association differed between AA and non-AA smokers. Our study found health care utilization did not differ by menthol use status for current smokers, although current menthol smokers smoked fewer cigarettes per day than current non-menthol smokers. However, we found menthol use was associated with higher odds of having hospital nights for recent quitters. We also found AA recent quitters had a different association between home visits and menthol use compared with non-AA recent quitters.
Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Black or African American; Aged; Cigarette Smoking; Cross-Sectional Studies; Female; Health Expenditures; Humans; Male; Menthol; Middle Aged; Non-Smokers; Patient Acceptance of Health Care; Smokers; United States; White People; Young Adult
PubMed: 32623471
DOI: 10.1093/ntr/ntaa122 -
Pain Feb 2021
Topics: Ankyrins; Humans; Menthol; Neurogenic Inflammation; Nociception; Pain; Receptors, Nerve Growth Factor
PubMed: 32826762
DOI: 10.1097/j.pain.0000000000002044 -
Journal of Natural Medicines Mar 2020It has been reported that Sanoshashinto (SanHuangXieXinTang, ), which is composed of Rhei Rhizoma, Scutellariae Radix, and Coptidis Rhizoma, exhibits vasorelaxant...
It has been reported that Sanoshashinto (SanHuangXieXinTang, ), which is composed of Rhei Rhizoma, Scutellariae Radix, and Coptidis Rhizoma, exhibits vasorelaxant effects in vitro and lowers blood pressure of patients. Based on this discovery, in this study, a mixture containing those three materials and combinations of them were extracted with methanol, and the extracts were fractionated into different parts. Effects of all extracts and fractions on high concentration of potassium chloride (High K)- or noradrenaline (NA)-induced contractions of isolated rat aortic rings or helical strips were examined. Qualitative and quantitative HPLC analyses of the extracts and the fractions revealed that the contents of baicalin and berberine in Sanoshashinto methanol extract (SHXXTM) were higher than those of the other constituents. All pharmacological and HPLC data were analyzed by principal component analysis (PCA) software and the results indicated that baicalin, berberine, palmatine, baicalein, and wogonoside contributed significantly to the pharmacological activity. Furthermore, spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs) that were orally given SHXXTM or a baicalin-berberine combination showed significantly reduced increase in the rate of systolic blood pressure (SBP) compared to the control group. These findings suggested that Sanoshashinto has significant vasorelaxant effects in vitro and antihypertensive effects in vivo, and baicalin and berberine, which were the principal constituents of Scutellariae Radix and Coptidis Rhizoma, were the main antihypertensive constituents in Sanoshashinto. It was speculated that baicalin and berberine produced vasorelaxant effects by activating the NO/cGMP pathway and that the BK channel and the DAG/PKC/CPI-17 pathway were also involved.
Topics: Animals; Antihypertensive Agents; Berberine; Blood Pressure; Drugs, Chinese Herbal; Flavonoids; Male; Menthol; Plant Extracts; Principal Component Analysis; Rats
PubMed: 31894475
DOI: 10.1007/s11418-019-01382-9 -
BMC Public Health Dec 2017Although menthol was not banned under the Tobacco Control Act, the law made it clear that this did not prevent the Food and Drug Administration from issuing a product... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Although menthol was not banned under the Tobacco Control Act, the law made it clear that this did not prevent the Food and Drug Administration from issuing a product standard to ban menthol to protect public health. The purpose of this review was to update the evidence synthesis regarding the role of menthol in initiation, dependence and cessation.
METHODS
A systematic review of the peer-reviewed literature on menthol cigarettes via a PubMed search through May 9, 2017. The National Cancer Institute's Bibliography of Literature on Menthol and Tobacco and the FDA's 2011 report and 2013 addendum were reviewed for additional publications. Included articles addressing initiation, dependence, and cessation were synthesized based on study design and quality, consistency of evidence across populations and over time, coherence of findings across studies, and plausibility of the findings.
RESULTS
Eighty-two studies on menthol cigarette initiation (n = 46), dependence (n = 14), and cessation (n = 34) were included. Large, representative studies show an association between menthol and youth smoking that is consistent in magnitude and direction. One longitudinal and eight cross-sectional studies demonstrate that menthol smokers report increased nicotine dependence compared to non-menthol smokers. Ten studies support the temporal relationship between menthol and reduced smoking cessation, as they measure cessation success at follow-up.
CONCLUSIONS
The strength and consistency of the associations in these studies support that the removal of menthol from cigarettes is likely to reduce youth smoking initiation, improve smoking cessation outcomes in adult smokers, and in turn, benefit public health.
Topics: Cigarette Smoking; Health Policy; Humans; Menthol; Public Health; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; United States
PubMed: 29284458
DOI: 10.1186/s12889-017-4987-z -
Nicotine & Tobacco Research : Official... Feb 2024Tobacco product flavors can increase product appeal, adolescent initiation and experimentation, and difficulty quitting. Flavored tobacco products are not restricted in...
INTRODUCTION
Tobacco product flavors can increase product appeal, adolescent initiation and experimentation, and difficulty quitting. Flavored tobacco products are not restricted in Vietnam or the Philippines despite the high smoking prevalence among those 15 years of age and older (24% and 23%, respectively). There are no published reports to our knowledge on the levels of flavor chemicals in the cigarettes sold in these two countries.
METHODS
Cigarettes were purchased in Vietnam (32 brand variants) and the Philippines (19 brand variants) during 2020. Chemical analyses gave the mg/filter, mg/rod, and mg/stick (= mg/(filter + rod)) values for 180 individual flavor chemicals. Values were calculated for menthol, clove-related compounds, and "other flavor chemicals" (OFCs).
RESULTS
Five flavor groupings were found among the brand variants purchased in Vietnam: menthol + OFCs (n = 15), OFCs only (n = 8), nonflavored (n = 7), menthol + OFCs with a clove flavorant (n = 1) and menthol only (n = 1). Three flavor groupings were found among the brand variants purchased in the Philippines: menthol + OFCs (n = 10), nonflavored (n = 5), and menthol only (n = 4).
CONCLUSIONS
A range of flavored cigarette products are being offered by tobacco companies in Vietnam and the Philippines, presumably to maximize cigarette sales. Regulation of flavor chemicals should be considered in these two countries.
IMPLICATIONS
Article 9 of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), ratified by both Vietnam and the Philippines, states that "there is no justification for permitting the use of ingredients, such as flavoring agents, which help make tobacco products attractive." Flavors increase product appeal, adolescent initiation and experimentation, and difficulty quitting. These analyses found that cigarettes purchased in Vietnam and the Philippines contained menthol and other flavor chemicals. Tobacco companies are offering multiple flavor chemical profiles and nominally nonflavored versions in these countries; regulation of flavor chemicals should be considered in these two countries.
Topics: Adolescent; Humans; Menthol; Philippines; Vietnam; Flavoring Agents; Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems; Tobacco Products; Brain; Cleft Lip; Cleft Palate
PubMed: 37578845
DOI: 10.1093/ntr/ntad146 -
Nicotine & Tobacco Research : Official... Apr 2016The disproportionate burden of tobacco use among African Americans is largely unexplained. The unexplained disparities, referred to as the African American smoking... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
The disproportionate burden of tobacco use among African Americans is largely unexplained. The unexplained disparities, referred to as the African American smoking paradox, includes several phenomena. Despite their social disadvantage, African American youth have lower smoking prevalence rates, initiate smoking at older ages, and during adulthood, smoking rates are comparable to whites. Smoking frequency and intensity among African American youth and adults are lower compared to whites and American Indian and Alaska Natives, but tobacco-caused morbidity and mortality rates are disproportionately higher. Disease prediction models have not explained disease causal pathways in African Americans. It has been hypothesized that menthol cigarette smoking, which is disproportionately high among African Americans, may help to explain several components of the African American smoking paradox.
PURPOSE
This article provides an overview of the potential role that menthol plays in the African American smoking paradox. We also discuss the research needed to better understand this unresolved puzzle.
METHODS
We examined prior synthesis reports and reviewed the literature in PubMed on the menthol compound and menthol cigarette smoking in African Americans.
RESULTS
The pharmacological and physiological effects of menthol and their interaction with biological and genetic factors may indirectly contribute to the disproportionate burden of cigarette use and diseases among African Americans.
CONCLUSIONS
Future studies that examine taste sensitivity, the menthol compound, and their effects on smoking and chronic disease would provide valuable information on how to reduce the tobacco burden among African Americans.
IMPLICATIONS
Our study highlights four counterintuitive observations related to the smoking risk profiles and chronic disease outcomes among African Americans. The extant literature provides strong evidence of their existence and shows that long-standing paradoxes have been largely unaffected by changes in the social environment. African Americans smoke menthols disproportionately, and menthol's role in the African American smoking paradox has not been thoroughly explored. We propose discrete hypotheses that will help to explain the phenomena and encourage researchers to empirically test menthol's role in smoking initiation, transitions to regular smoking and chronic disease outcomes in African Americans.
Topics: Black or African American; Humans; Menthol; Prevalence; Smoking; Smoking Cessation; Smoking Prevention; Taste; Tobacco Use Disorder; United States; White People
PubMed: 26980870
DOI: 10.1093/ntr/ntv209