*Relationship Between the Symptoms of Respiratory Distress and the Pharmacologic Actions of Menthol

Symptoms of Respiratory Dysfunction 1 Pharmacologic Action of Menthol
chronic cough antitussive2,3,4
thick mucus production secretolytic agent - expectorant 3,5
bronchitis - airway resistance subjective - increased airflow3,6,7
shortness of breath soothing effect may reduce pain in inflamed or irritated mucous membranes3,8,9,10,11
recurring pneumonia antibacterial activity3,13,14
1 - Fishman AP. Fishman's Pulmonary Diseases and Disorders. 3rd Edition, McGraw-Hill, 1998.
2 - Morice AH, Marshall AE, Higgins KS and Grattan TJ. Effect of inhaled menthol on citric acid induced cough in normal subjects. Thorax 49(10): 1024-1026, 1994.
3 - Eccles R. Menthol and related cooling compounds - a review. J. Pharm. Pharmacol. 46(8): 618-630, 1994.
4 - Laude EA, Morice AH and Grattan TJ. The antitussive effects of menthol, camphor and cineole in conscious guinea pigs. Pulm. Pharmacol. 7(3): 179-184, 1994.
5 - Boyd EM and Sheppard EP. A bronchomucotropic action in rabbits from inhaled menthol and thymol. Arch. Int. Pharmacodyn. 182(1): 206-214, 1969.
6 - Burrow A, Eccles R and Jones AS. The effect of camphor, eucalyptus and menthol vapour on nasal resistance to airflow and nasal sensation. Acta Otolaryngol 96(1-2): 157-161, 1996.
7 - Eccles R and Jones AS. The effect of menthol on nasal resistance to airflow. J. Laryngol. Otol. 97(8): 705-709, 1983.
8 - Chiyotani A and Tamaoki J. Effect of menthol on peak expiratory flow in patients with bronchial asthma. Japanese J. Chest Dis. 53(11): 949-953, 1994.
9 - Tamaoki J, Chiyotani A, Sakai A, Takemura and Konno K. Effect of menthol vapor on airway hyperreponsiveness in patients with mild asthma. Resp. Med. 89: 503-504, 1995.
10 - Juergens UR, Stober M and Vetter H. The anti-inflammatory activity of L-menthol compared to mint oil in human monocytes in vitro: a novel perspective for its therapeutic use in inflammatory disease. Eur. J. Med. Res. 3(12): 539-545, 1998.
11 - Sloan A, DeCort SC and Eccles R. Prolongation of breath-hold time following treatment with an l-menthol lozenge in healthy man. J. Physiol. 473, 53p, 1993.
12 - Pattnaik S, Subramanyan VR, Bapaji M and Kole CR. Antibacterial and antifugal activity of aromatic constituents of essential oils. Microbios 89(358): 39-46, 1997.
13 - Moleyar V and Narasimham. Antibacterial activity of essential oil components. Int. J. Food Microbiol. 16: 337-342, 1992.
14 - Iscan G, Kirimer N, Kurkcuoglu M, Husna Can Baser K, Demirci F. Antimicrobial screening of mentha piperita essential oils. J. Agric. Food Chem. 50(14): 3943-6, 2002.

The analgesic property of menthol may even reduce the degree of chest pain often experienced with respiratory dysfunction. Galeott1 N, Di Cesare Mannelli L, Mazzanti G, Bartolini A and Ghelardini C. Menthol: a natural analgesic compound. Neurosci. Lett. 322(3): 145-148, 2002. Davies SJ, Harding LM and Baranowski AP. A novel treatment of postherapetic neuralgia in using peppermint oil. Clin. J. Pain 18(3): 200-2, 2002.

* - Garten S and Falkner VR. Continual Smoking of Mentholated Cigarettes May Mask the Early Warning Symptoms of Respiratory Disease. Prev Med 37(4): 291-296, 2003.