Deodorization of garlic odor by spearmint, peppermint, and chocolate mint leaves and rosmarinic acid

- Peppermint, spearmint, and chocolate mint leaves effectively deodorize garlic odor.
- Peppermint and spearmint are more effective deodorizer than chocolate mint leaves.
- Rosmarinic acid works synergistically with mint leaves for a better deodorization.

The deodorization capacity of mint leaves against garlic odor has been linked to their phenolic and enzymatic components. This study determined the deodorizing effect of 3 types of fresh mint leaves (peppermint, spearmint, and chocolate mint) and pure rosmarinic acid on garlic volatiles. Garlic volatiles were measured in the headspace of a sealed bottle containing pre-weighed garlic cloves blended with mint leaves, rosmarinic acid, or a mint leaves-rosmarinic acid mixture, using selected ion flow tube-mass spectrometry (SIFT-MS). All 3 mint leaf cultivars significantly reduced the headspace concentrations of sulfur volatiles in crushed garlic. Although chocolate mint leaves had the highest rosmarinic acid content, peppermint and spearmint leaves were more effective in decreasing the headspace garlic volatiles. Increasing the amount of peppermint leaves (from 1 to 10 g) blended with garlic cloves increased the deodorizing effect. Pure rosmarinic acid significantly reduced the levels of most garlic volatiles, however, the deodorization was not strongly dependent on the amount (2 vs. 40 mg) of rosmarinic acid. Moreover, the mixture of peppermint and rosmarinic acid significantly reduced garlic volatiles as compared to rosmarinic acid alone. This suggests a synergistic effect between other components in peppermint and rosmarinic acid in the deodorization of garlic odor.