Chemical composition and antioxidant activity of essential oil from residues of Artemisia scoparia

The chemical composition of hydrodistilled oil (yield ∼0.17%, w/v), from the residues of Artemisia scoparia Waldst. & Kit. (sagebrush or wormweed), was analysed for the first time by GC/GC–MS. Of the 49 compounds present in the oil, 48, accounting for 99.28% of the oil, were identified. The volatile oil contained 24 monoterpenoids (56.7%), 19 sesquiterpenoids (28.7%), 2 ketones (0.25%), 1 ester (1.87%), 1 chromene (precocene II, 0.65%) and a hydrocarbon compound. Citronellal (15.2%) followed by β-citronellol (11%) were the major monoterpene constituents of the oil. The residue essential oils (25–200 μg/ml) exhibited a strong antioxidant and radical scavenging activity against hydroxyl ion (OH) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). This study concludes that residues of A. scoparia could serve as an important bioresource for extraction of monoterpenoid-rich oil exhibiting antioxidant activity, and thus hold a good potential for use in the food and pharmaceutical industry.