Antihypertrophic Effect of Menthol from Mentha x Piperita Concerning Cardiac Hypertrophy: A Review

Background: The abnormal enlargement or thickening of the heart muscle leads to the diminishment of ventricular wall tension, which helps the heart to keep up the outstanding task at hand in terms of capacity and effectiveness. There are two kinds of hypertrophy: physiological and pathological. Initially, what evolves as an adaptive reaction, advances to heart failure. Different cellular signaling pathways control each type of hypertrophy. Peppermint, Mentha x piperita, a hybrid of Mentha spicata and Mentha aquatica, belongs to the family of Lamiaceae. Peppermint oil has high menthol content and many useful targets in cardiovascular disorders, such as hypertension, coronary heart disease, etc. Objective: The objective of this review article is to investigate the antihypertrophic activity of Mentha x Piperita, which is not yet established. Methods: For manuscript preparation, we used all accessible international databases, traditional books (regular books in English), electronic resources (Google Scholar, PubMed, Science Direct, Springer, Wiley, etc.), and unpublished data (thesis, R reports, and dissertations). Results: Menthol may activate transient receptor potential cation channel subfamily M (melastatin) member 8 (TRMP8) channels, resulting in increased cytosolic calcium concentration and vasorelaxation activity. Menthol is known to stimulate the elevation of TRPM8 protein in the endothelium, vascular smooth muscle (VSM), and vascular afferent nerve strands while obstructing VSM L-type calcium channels (LCC), contributing to both the cardiovascular and vasoactive properties of peppermint. In vivo experiments proved that glucagon plays a significant role in the preventive effect of menthol (as TRPM8 modulator) against a high-fat diet (HFD) induced weight gain and related complications. Conclusion: Due to the efficacy of menthol (Mentha x piperita) in its cardioprotective properties, understanding the actual mechanisms related to the efficacy of menthol on CVD can be the subject of future studies.