Volatile constituents of Algerian Artemisia herba-alba essential oils

The composition of the essential oils of six individual plants of Artemisia herba-alba Asso, growing wild in six different locations from southern Algeria, were investigated by capillary gas chromatography (GC) and GC/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) in combination with retention indices. Accounting for 76.3-97.2% of the oils, 132 constituents were identified, predominantly alpha-thujone (trace-47.1%), camphor (5.6-30.0%), chrysanthenone (trace-13.5%), beta-thujone (trace-9.2%), 1,8-cineole (4.1-11.4%), cis-jasmone (0.8-12.1%) and davanone (trace-34.0.%). Regarding the alpha- and beta-thujone toxicity and the extensive use of A.herba-alba as an aromatic and medicinal plant in folk medicine, we report here, with previous investigations, the thujone content of forty individual plants of A.herba-alba growing wild in sixteen different locations from the high table-lands, steppes and Sahara desert of Algeria. The available data indicate a high degree of variability in the percentage of the two constituents. Large amounts were present in essential oils of Ghardaia (88.9%), Ain-Sefra (59.0%), Laghouat (57.7%) and Sebdou (55.7%).