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Abstract
Seedlings of Artemisia herba-alba Asso collected from Kirchaou area were transplanted in an experimental garden near the Institut des Régions Arides of Médenine (Tunisia). During three years, the aerials parts were harvested (three levels of cutting, 25%, 50% and 75% of the plant), at full blossom and during the vegetative stage. The essential oil was isolated by hydrodistillation and its chemical composition was determined by GC(RI) and 13C-NMR. With respect to the quantity of vegetable material and the yield of hydrodistillation, it appears that the best results were obtained for plants cut at 50% of their height and during the full blossom. The chemical composition of the essential oil was dominated by β-thujone, α-thujone, 1,8-cineole, camphor and trans-sabinyl acetate, irrespective of the level of cutting and the period of harvest. It remains similar to that of plants growing wild in the same area.