Chemical Composition, Free-Radical-Scavenging and Insecticidal Properties, and General Toxicity of Volatile Oils of Two Artemisia species Growing Wild in Iran.

The composition of the volatile oils from the aerial parts ofArtemisia spicigeraandA. splendens, growing in Iran, was analyzed by GC-MS and GC-FID. A total of 47 constituents from each of the oils (87.6 % and 58.3 % of the total oil ofA. spicigeraandA. splendens, respectively) were separated and identified. The major components of theA. spicigeraoil werecis-chrysanthenyl acetate (24.0 %), camphor (21.0 %), 1,8-cineol (13.9 %) andcis-chrysanthenol (8.5 %), while 1,8-cineol (4.7 %), caryophyllene oxide (3.8 %), valencene (3.5 %) and α-terpenyl acetate (3.4 %) were detected as the major constituents of the oils ofA. splendens. The free-radical-scavenging activity of the oils was assessed by the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay. Both oils showed weak antiradical effect with RC50values of 55.6 and 106.4 µg/mL, respectively, forA. spicigeraandA. splendens. The oils displayed broad and potent insecticidal activity againstOryzaephilus mercator, but no noticeable toxicity towards brine shrimp. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]