biostudies-literatureYu Ythe Key project at central government level: The ability establishment of sustainable use for val-uable Chinese medicine resources3258https://www.ebi.ac.uk/biostudies/studies/S-EPMC12567415biostudies-literatureUnknown17(20)<i>Mentha</i> essential oils (EOs), renowned for their distinctive aromas and diverse biological activities, represent a key focus in phytochemical and pharmacological research. While numerous reviews have documented the general properties of mint EOs, a systematic and critical synthesis of recent advances linking chemotypic diversity to biosynthetic mechanisms and evidence-based health benefits remains lacking. This review aims to address this gap by comprehensively analyzing the structural variability of EOs across major <i>Mentha</i> species, elucidating the chemotype-dependent enzymatic and genetic regulation within the plastidial methylerythritol phosphate (MEP) pathway, and evaluating preclinical and clinical evidence supporting their health-promoting activities, including antimicrobNutrients<i>Mentha</i> Essential Oils: Unraveling Chemotype-Dependent Biosynthesis and Assessing Evidence for Health-Promoting Activities.PMC125674152060302Ma YOuyang ZHuang LYu Yfalse<i>Mentha</i> Essential Oils: Unraveling Chemotype-Dependent Biosynthesis and Assessing Evidence for Health-Promoting Activities.<i>Mentha</i> essential oils (EOs), renowned for their distinctive aromas and diverse biological activities, represent a key focus in phytochemical and pharmacological research. While numerous reviews have documented the general properties of mint EOs, a systematic and critical synthesis of recent advances linking chemotypic diversity to biosynthetic mechanisms and evidence-based health benefits remains lacking. This review aims to address this gap by comprehensively analyzing the structural variability of EOs across major <i>Mentha</i> species, elucidating the chemotype-dependent enzymatic and genetic regulation within the plastidial methylerythritol phosphate (MEP) pathway, and evaluating preclinical and clinical evidence supporting their health-promoting activities, including antimicrob2025-01-01T00:00:00Z2025 Oct2026-05-15T03:20:02.335Z2026-05-15T03:12:17.096ZS-EPMC125674154115651010.3390/nu17203258