Chemical Composition, Free-Radical-Scavenging and Insecticidal Properties, and General Toxicity of Volatile Oils of Two Artemisia species Growing Wild in Iran

Abstract

The composition of the volatile oils from the aerial parts of Artemisia spicigera and A. splendens, growing in Iran, was analyzed by GC-MS and GC-FID. A total of 47 constituents from each of the oils (87.6 % and 58.3 % of the total oil of A. spicigera and A. splendens, respectively) were separated and identified. The major components of the A. spicigera oil were cis-chrysanthenyl acetate (24.0 %), camphor (21.0 %), 1,8-cineol (13.9 %) and cis-chrysanthenol (8.5 %), while 1,8-cineol (4.7 %), caryophyllene oxide (3.8 %), valencene (3.5 %) and -terpenyl acetate (3.4 %) were detected as the major constituents of the oils of A. splendens. The free-radical-scavenging activity of the oils was assessed by the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay. Both oils showed weak antiradical effect with RC50 values of 55.6 and 106.4 mu g/mL, respectively, for A. spicigera and A. splendens. The oils displayed broad and potent insecticidal activity against Oryzaephilus mercator, but no noticeable toxicity towards brine shrimp.