The mint family of herbs, which includes sage, rosemary, basil, and even woody plants like teak, offers an invigorating jolt to our senses of smell and taste. Michigan State University researchers have found that these plants have diversified their specialized natural characteristics through the evolution of their chemistry.
“People easily recognize members of the mint family for their specialized metabolites,” said Björn Hamberger, an associate professor and James K. Billman Jr., M.D., Endowed Professor in the College of Natural Science. “Metabolites are an efficient way for plants to defend themselves because they can’t run away.”
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