Artemisia annua Oil
The oil composition of Artemisia annua L. annual wormwood that was grown in Oregon (USA) was examined by Tellez et al. (1999). They found that most plants possessed capitate glandular trichomes (oil glands); however, a glandless biotype was found to arise spontaneously among the field-cultivated plants. As a result, the oil composition of both the glanded and glandless plants was the subject of analysis. As one might expect the glandless plants were oil-poor (0.06 percent yield). The components identified in this oil were:
In addition, trace amounts (< 0.1 percent) of 4-hydroxy-4-methyl-2-pentanone, (Z)-3-hexenol, hexanol, benzaldehyde, (E)-β-ocimene, acetophenone, octanol, isophorone, β-cubebene, β-elemene, tetradecane, α-cedrene, coumarin, γ-muurolene, α-cadinene, (E)-nerolidol, spathulenol, β-oplopenone, T-cadinol, cubenol and α-muurolol were also found in this unusual oil. In contrast, the composition of an oil of the typical glanded A. annua was found to be as follows:
Trace amounts (< 0.1 percent) of furfural, hexanol, tricyclene, α-thujene, thuja-2,4(10)-diene, benzaldehyde, sabinene, santolina alcohol, phenylacetaldehyde, (E)-β-ocimene, acetophenone, o-guaiacol, terpinolene, nonanal, nopinone, pinocamphone, 4-methylacetophenone, p-cymen-8-ol, methyl salicylate, verbenone, cis-carveol, carvone, trans-myrtanol, indole, trans-pinocarvyl acetate, carvacrol, α-cubebene, eugenol, β-cubebene, β-elemene, (Z)-jasmone, tetradecane, α-cedrene, γ-muurolene, (E)-β-ionone, β-selinene, α-muurolene, γ-cadinene, δ-cadinene, trans-calamenene and (E)-nerolidol were also found in this oil.
