ISSN print edition: 0366-6352 ISSN electronic edition: 1336-9075 Registr. No.: MK SR 9/7 Published monthly

Chemical variability of Artemisia herba-alba Asso essential oils from East Morocco

Julien Paolini, El Mokhtar El Ouariachi, Abdelhamid Bouyanzer, Belkheir Hammouti, Jean-Marie Desjobert, and et al.

Laboratoire de Chimie des Produits Naturels, Université de Corse, BP 52, CNRS-UMR 6134, 20250 Corti, France

E-mail: muselli@univ-corse.fr

Abstract: Chemical compositions of 16 Artemisia herba-alba oil samples harvested in eight East Moroccan locations were investigated by GC and GC/MS. Chemical variability of the A. herba-alba oils is also discussed using statistical analysis. Detailed analysis of the essential oils led to the identification of 52 components amounting to 80.5–98.6 % of the total oil. The investigated chemical compositions showed significant qualitative and quantitative differences. According to their major components (camphor, chrysanthenone, and α- and β-thujone), three main groups of essential oils were found. This study also found regional specificity of the major components.

Keywords: Artemisia herba-alba - essential oil - chrysanthenone - camphor - α-thujone - β-thujone - GC/MS

Full paper is available at www.springerlink.com.

DOI: 10.2478/s11696-010-0051-5

Chemical Papers 64 (5) 550–556 (2010)