Chemical composition and antioxidant activity of essential oil from residues of Artemisia scoparia

Abstract

The chemical composition of hydrodistilled oil (yield ~0.17%, w/v), from the residues of Artemisia scoparia Waldst. & Kit. (sagebrush or wormweed), was analysed for the first time by GC/GC-MS. Of the 49 compounds present in the oil, 48, accounting for 99.28% of the oil, were identified. The volatile oil contained 24 monoterpenoids (56.7%), 19 sesquiterpenoids (28.7%), 2 ketones (0.25%), 1 ester (1.87%), 1 chromene (precocene II, 0.65%) and a hydrocarbon compound. Citronellal (15.2%) followed by β-citronellol (11%) were the major monoterpene constituents of the oil. The residue essential oils (25-200 μg/ml) exhibited a strong antioxidant and radical scavenging activity against hydroxyl ion (OH^•) and hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂). This study concludes that residues of A. scoparia could serve as an important bioresource for extraction of monoterpenoid-rich oil exhibiting antioxidant activity, and thus hold a good potential for use in the food and pharmaceutical industry.