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Botanical illustration of Muna
MedicinalSourced entry

Muna

Minthostachys mollis

Muña, an aromatic Andean mint widely used in Peruvian traditional medicine. Farmers also layer its leaves in stored potatoes to keep moths away.

Safety at a glance

  • PregnancyNothing recorded
  • BreastfeedingNothing recorded
  • MedicinesNothing recorded
  • Who should avoid itNothing recorded
  • AllergiesNothing recorded
  • ToxicityNothing recorded

Tap a box to read the safety notes below. “Nothing recorded” means our sources don't cover it, not that it's safe.

What is Muna?

Plant family
Lamiaceae, the mint family
Parts used
The leaves
Where it grows
The Andes of Venezuela to Bolivia
Genus
Minthostachys
Species
mollis

Also called

Andean Mint

Regional names

Muña

Traditionally used for

  • Traditional remedy
  • Pest repellent

Traditionally described as

  • Aromatic
  • Repels insects

Natural compounds

PulegoneCarvacrol

What does the research say?

Traditional use

These are traditional uses, not proven treatments.

  • Muña is an aromatic mint-family plant widely used in traditional medicine in Peru.[1]Study

  • Andean farmers layer dried muña leaves in sacks of stored seed potatoes to keep pests away. In a 187-day trial in Peru, this cut potato moth damage and larvae by roughly 80–90%.[2]Study

Laboratory & animal research

Lab and animal results show what might be worth studying in people. They don't show that the herb has these effects in humans.

  • The leaf oil is mostly pulegone (about 64%), with carvacrol and 1,8-cineole. In lab tests, it moderately blocked an enzyme that breaks down a memory-related brain messenger.[1]Study

    Technical detail: acetylcholinesterase IC50 466.4 µg/mL.

In short

No studies in people or safety studies were found.

Sources

  1. [1] Chemical and enantioselective GC-MS characterization of Minthostachys mollis (Benth.) Griseb. Essential oil from Peru and its acetylcholinesterase inhibitory activity · DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2026.1864128Peer-reviewed study
  2. [2] Effectiveness of Repellent Plants for Controlling Potato Tuber Moth (Symmetrischema tangolias) in the Andean Highlands · DOI: 10.3390/insects17010024Peer-reviewed study

This information is educational and traditional in nature, and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Unfamiliar word? See what these words mean.