Abstract

In this study, the chemical composition of essential oils isolated from dried stems, leaves, and fruits of three wild sages from Northern Iran (Artemisia absinthium L., Artemisia annuaL., and Artemisia tschernieviana B) were investigated by a combination of gas chromatography (GC) and gas chromatography (GC)/mass spectrometry (MS). A total of 83 components were identified accounting for 93.51 to 100.00% of the oil composition. A. absinthium oils were characterized by high amounts of β-thujone (24.27 to 40.91%), 1,8-cineole (8.10 to 14.09%), and sabinene(8.35 to 10.05%). A. annua yielded an oils rich in camphor (10.54 to 24.12%), borneol (1.48 to 27.78%), and 1,8-cineole (8.03 to 11.71%). β -pinene (13.65 to 22.37%), limonene (7.69 to 13.65%), and cubenol (3.50 to 15.43%) were the main components in the essential oils of A. tschernieviana. The total numbers of volatile compounds identified from A. absinthium, A. annua, and A. tschernieviana were 58, 84, and 86, respectively. In A. absinthium and A. annua, monoterpens were higher than the sesquiterpens, and oxygenated monoterpene compounds were the main constituents, but in oils of A. tschernieviana, monoterpene hydrocarbons were the main constituents. The results of the antimicrobial activity of all essential oils showed that the oils had varying degrees of growth inhibition against the microorganisms tested.

Key words: Artemisia absinthium, Artemisia annua, Artemisia tschernieviana,Compositae, essential oil composition, antimicrobial activity.