Headspace-SPME and hydrodistillation of two fragrant Artemisia sp.

Abstract

The family Asteraceae comprises aromatic plants with a strong distinctive fragrance. Artemisia species belonging to this family are known to contain essential oils. Fresh aerial parts of Artemisia spicigera C. Koch and A. scoparia Waldst. et Kit. were subjected to headspace-SPME (HS-SPME) and the same plants were hydrodistilled (HD) after drying to obtain the profiles of volatiles. Headspace volatiles were analysed by GC-MS, whereas the essential oils were analysed by both GC and GC-MS. Camphor (37.5% and 43.9%) was found as the main constituent in both oils and in SPME samples of A. spicigera. However, in the oil sample of A. scoparia, capillene (1-phenylhexa-2,4-diyne) (53.1%) was found as the main constituent, while beta-pinene (20.8%), beta-caryophyllene (16.4%), (Z)-beta-ocimene (16.4%), myrcene (12.8%), and limonene (11.0%) were the main components in the headspace-SPME, respectively. Copyright (c) 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.