Current Knowledge on the Vascular Effects of Menthol

Abstract

Menthol is a monoterpene alcohol, widely used in several food and healthcare products for its particular odor and flavor. For some decades, menthol has been known to act on the vasculature directly in the endothelium and vascular smooth muscle, with recent studies showing that it also evokes an indirect vascular response via sensory fibers. The mechanisms underlying menthol's vascular action are complex due to the diversity of cellular targets, to the interplay between signaling pathways and to the variability in terms of response. Menthol can evoke either a perfusion increase or decrease in vivo in different vascular territories, an observation that warrants a critical discussion. Menthol vascular actions in vivo seem to depend on whether the vascular territory under analysis has been directly provoked with menthol or is located deep/distant to the application site. Menthol increases perfusion of directly provoked skin regions due to a complex interplay of increased nitric oxide (NO), endothelium-derived hyperpolarization factors (EDHFs) and sensory nerve responses. In non-provoked vascular beds menthol decreases perfusion which might be attributed to heat-conservation sympatheticallymediated vasoconstriction, although an increase in tissue evaporative heat loss due the formulation ethanol may also play a role. There is increasing evidence that several of menthol's cellular targets are involved in cardiovascular diseases, such as hypertension. Thus menthol and pharmacologically-similar drugs can play important preventive and therapeutic roles, which merits further investigation.

Ileum transcriptional response to prolonged supplementation with phytogenic product containing menthol, carvacrol and carvone

“…Among strongly activated functions, we can note that the phytogen did not increase the predisposition to any of the diseases; on the contrary, it enhanced a range of beneficial functions such as angiogenesis and vasculogenesis, homeostasis, engulfment of tumour cells, the function of muscle and autophagy to name a few (Supplementary data) while inhibiting non-desirable functions like dysglycemia (abnormalities in blood glucose levels), morbidity and mortality, disorders of blood pressure and more. Vasculogenesis and other cardiovascular beneficial functions enhanced by phytogen are in agreement with previously reported cardioprotective effects of phytogens main ingredients menthol and carvacrol [ 7 , 36 ]. Reduction in mortality related functions is in agreement with our trial data showing consistently reduced mortality in phytogen shed from the second week of phytogen administration.…”

“…The Qiagen's Ingenuity Pathway Analysis (IPA) is based on over 10 million manually curated gene expression annotations in the Ingenuity Knowledge Base (IKB) [ 60 ] commercial database [ 7 ]. IPA was performed to identify significantly altered pathways ( P < 0.01) and to differentiate if the pathways are activated (positive z -score) or inhibited (negative z-score).…”

“…Menthol is widely used, from mouthwashes to sweets and controversial menthol cigarettes. Although it is well known for its antimicrobial properties [ 4 , 5 ], menthol also has a range of other effects including stimulating intestinal Ca absorption [ 6 ], it is beneficial for vascular and cardiovascular health [ 7 ], can help muscular recovery post exercise [ 8 ], and enhance exercise performance, especially under heat stress [ 9 , 10 ] and influence thermal sensation via cooling effect [ 10 ], can improve thirst management [ 11 ], and it can be used in treatment of obesity [ 12 ]. Menthol reduces colitis-induced intestinal tumorigenesis and increases short-chain fatty acids [ 13 ], provides benefits in the endoscopic clarification of early gastric cancer [ 14 ], exerts analgesic effects via the enhancement of inhibitory synaptic transmission [ 15 ].…”

Self-Healing: A Concept for Musculoskeletal Body Pain Management – Scientific Evidence and Mode of Action

“…The bridging of Western and traditional Chinese medicine has been described as shifting compensatory homeostasis to overall human body homeostasis, in line with the self-healing idea, 83 and among older Chinese adults, the use of traditional Chinese medicine has been shown to be effective, although there are some conflicting results. 84 , 85 For example, menthol acts on vasculature directly in the vascular smooth muscle and endothelium and recent studies have shown that it causes an indirect vascular response via sensory fibers 86 and menthol gel can acutely reduce pain intensity. 87 Cold therapy can reduce edema in acute situations; vasoconstriction occurs both in response to reflex and local cooling of the skin; however, patients should be aware than cooling longer than 20 minutes can be harmful as a sudden switch to vasodilation can be triggered (hunting reaction).…”

A Descriptive Overview of the Medical Uses Given to Mentha Aromatic Herbs throughout History

“…Recent research suggests that the Mentha x villosa species has a hypotensive effect through bradycardia and vasodilation [ 115 ]. Although several mint substances may display this vasoactive effect, it has definitely been detected in menthol [ 116 ].…”