Bakerink J A, Gospe S M, Dimand R J, Eldridge M W
Department of Pediatrics, University of California, Davis Medical Center, Sacramento 96817, USA.
Pediatrics. 1996 Nov;98(5):944-7.
Hepatic and neurologic injury developed in two infants after ingestion of mint tea. Examination of the mint plants, from which the teas were brewed, indicated that they contained the toxic agent pennyroyal oil.
Sera from each infant were analyzed for the toxic constituents of pennyroyal oil, including pulegone and its metabolite menthofuran.
Fulminant liver failure with cerebral edema and necrosis developed in the first infant, who died. This infant was positive only for menthofuran (10 ng/mL). In the other infant, who was positive for both pulegone (25 ng/mL) and menthofuran (41 ng/mL), hepatic dysfunction and a severe epileptic encephalopathy developed.
Pennyroyal oil is a highly toxic agent that may cause both hepatic and neurologic injury if ingested. A potential source of pennyroyal oil is certain mint teas mistakenly used as home remedies to treat minor ailments and colic in infants. Physicians should consider pennyroyal oil poisoning as a possible cause of hepatic and neurologic injury in infants, particularly if the infants may have been given home-brewed mint teas.
两名婴儿在饮用薄荷茶后出现肝损伤和神经损伤。对冲泡薄荷茶所用的薄荷植物进行检测发现，这些植物含有毒性成分薄荷油。
对每名婴儿的血清进行分析，检测薄荷油中的毒性成分，包括长叶薄荷酮及其代谢产物薄荷呋喃。
第一名婴儿出现暴发性肝衰竭并伴有脑水肿和坏死，最终死亡。该婴儿仅薄荷呋喃检测呈阳性（10纳克/毫升）。另一名婴儿长叶薄荷酮（25纳克/毫升）和薄荷呋喃（41纳克/毫升）检测均呈阳性，出现肝功能障碍和严重癫痫性脑病。
薄荷油是一种剧毒物质，摄入后可能导致肝损伤和神经损伤。薄荷油的一个潜在来源是某些被误用作家庭疗法来治疗婴儿小病和腹绞痛的薄荷茶。医生应将薄荷油中毒视为婴儿肝损伤和神经损伤的一个可能原因，尤其是如果婴儿可能饮用了自酿的薄荷茶。
