| Abstract
| - The essential oil obtained by hydrodistillation of the fresh aerial parts of Mentha microphylla C. Kock(Lamiaceae) collected on the Gennargentu Mountains (Sardinia, Italy) has been investigated by gaschromatography (GC) and GC/mass spectrometry (MS). The main constituents that resulted werepulegone (34.1%), piperitenone oxide (32.9%), and piperitenone (11.3%). The presence of smallamounts of compounds such as ethyl hexanoate, 1-octen-3-ol, nonanal, and ethyl 2-methylbutanoatecould justify the particular odorous profile of the plant, resembling the aroma of milk and other dairyproducts such as mozzarella. Keywords: Mentha microphylla C. Kock; Lamiaceae; essential oil composition; dairy products aroma;pulegone; piperitenone oxide; piperitenone
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