Planta Med 2015; 81 - PW_220
DOI: 10.1055/s-0035-1565844

Annual variation of the essential oil production of Artemisia asiatica

R Engel 1, K Veres 2, Z Hajdú 2, K Szabó 1, G Blunden 3, J Hohmann 2, I Máthé 2
  • 1Institute of Ecology and Botany, Research Centre for Ecology of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Alkotmány Str. 2, H-2163, Vácrátót, Hungary
  • 2Department of Pharmacognosy, University of Szeged, Eötvös Str. 6, H-6720, Szeged, Hungary
  • 3School of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, University of Portsmouth, Univ. House, Winston Churchill Avenue, Portsmouth, PO1 2UP, Portsmouth, United Kingdom

Artemisia asiatica Nakai (Asteraceae) is an Asian traditional medicinal plant. It has been used for the treatment of inflammation, cancer, microbial infections. The biological activities of this species can partly be attributed to its essential oil content. Our study aims to evaluate the essential oil production (phytomass, essential oil content, composition and production) of A. asiatica, taking into account both of the annual and seasonal variations of the plant.

Plant material was collected from A. asiatica population, growing in the experimental field of the Centre for Ecological Research, Vácrátót. Sampling was done bi-weekly from the middle of April to the end of the vegetation period in three successive years (to the middle of September in 2012). Lengths, fresh and dry weights of the leaf and stem of shoots were recorded. Essential oil was obtained by hydro-distillation from the fresh plant material according to the prescription of Ph.Hg.VIII. Its content was calculated both on fresh and dry weights. The oil composition was determined by using GC/FID (HP 5890 series II, HP-5 column) and GC/MS (Finnigen GCQ, DB-5MS column). Authentic samples, Kovats indices and data base figures were used for identification.

Plants have reached the full height in June-July, together with the leaf and stem weights of the shoots. From the second part of August a quick decrease in the fresh weight could be observed. The essential oil content (0.03 – 0.72 fresh wt. %) showed a similar tendency but the maxima appeared earlier, in May and June, respectively. The maximum yield of essential oil could also be measured in June. Twenty-seven components were regularly determined in the essential oil samples. Twenty mono- and seven sesquiterpenes were identified. Artemisia- and yomigi alcohols, 1,8-cineol, terpinen-4-ol, α- and γ-terpinene, β-caryophyllene, germacrene D were the main components. During the vegetation period the composition of the essential oil has not varied significantly.