The essential oil of cultivated Artemisia afra (Jacq.) from Zimbabwe

Abstract

The steam-distilled essential oils from plants of Artemisia afra (Jacq.) (Compositae) from the wild and organically cultivated at two pilot sites in Zimbabwe were analysed by GC–MS. The major components of plants in the wild were artemisia ketone (6.3–41.9%), 1,8-cineole (0.1–27.9%), α-copaene/camphor (8.5–27.1%) and santolina alcohol (3.1–10.1%). Two chemotypes were identified from the cultivated plants. The major components of oil for fresh and semi-dried herb from the cultivated plants from one site were artemisia ketone (32.1–34.8%), α-copaene/camphor (21.8–24.4%), 1,8-cineole (10.9–15.7%) and santolina alcohol (2.7–8.0%). The major components of oil from the other site from fresh and semi-dried herb of cultivated plants were 1,8-cineole (22.5–29.3%), α-copaene/camphor (6.2–21.3%), borneol (14.2–19.1%), and camphene (3.0–5.6%). Bornyl acetate (1.6–4.2%), β-caryophyllene (2.0–5.0%), sabinene (0.6–7.9%), γ-terpinene (0.2–2.6%) and p-cymene (1.3–2.7%) were notable minor constituents. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.