Mint plant can help fight cancer: CIMAP Researchers

Scientists at Lucknow​ based CSIR-Central Institute of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants (CIMAP​) have found that mint plant has medicinal values that can cure cancer.

They have identified that a medicinal compound called ‘L-Menthol’ derived from Mentha plant popularly known as mint.​

Key findings

L-Menthol compound can kill the colon cancer cell line without affecting the normal cell line.

The compound inhibits the division of cancer cell and prevents its growth and spread to other organs of the body.

Its production is cost-effective, non-destructive and easily available in comparison to anti-cancer compound used at present obtained from the bark of European Yew tree.

The Mentha is available in abundance across the world compared to the European Yew tree which is found only in Europe and some parts of Africa and Asia.​

Menthol can be derived easily without damaging the plant, whereas the European Yew tree has to be cut down for using bark for deriving anti-cancer compound.

The discovery can be very useful for farmers in ​India where Mentha is grown in large quantity.

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