Variability of Artemisia campestris L. essential oils from Lithuania

Abstract

The compositional variability of Lithuanian field wormwood (Artemisia campestris ssp. campestris) essential oils was presented for the first time. The oils (twenty-five samples) were obtained by hydro-distillation and analyzed by gas chromatography (GC) and GC–mass spectrometry (GC–MS). Statistical data analysis grouped the samples into three segments. The main chemical profile (twenty-one samples) was characterized by the predominance of germacrene D (9.8–31.2%), while spathulenol, humulene epoxide II and caryophyllene oxide were found as the first major compounds in another three oils. One oil was determined as a mixed chemotype. Some compounds such as γ-curcumene, α-cadinol, (E,E)-α-farnesene, β-ylangene, β-selinene and humulene epoxide II have been mentioned for the first time among three principal constituents in A. campestris oils. The fifty-six components (in amounts ≥0.5%) made up 73.6.1–98.5% of the total content, while the remaining twenty-six volatile compounds were identified in insignificant amounts in the A. campestris essential oils.

Keywords:

• Artemisia campestris ssp. campestris
• essential oil
• germacrene D
• spathulenol
• humulene epoxide II
• β-caryophyllene oxide
• statistical data analysis

Acknowledgement

The investigation was partly supported by the European Social Fund Agency under the project ‘High Tech Materials Developing Research and Application’ (No. VP1-3.1-SMM-08-K-01-014).