Composition of Essential Oil of Artemisia absinthium by Three Different Extraction Methods: Hydrodistillation, Solvent-Free Microwave Extraction & Headspace Solid-Phase Microextraction

Abstract

Traditional hydrodistillation, solvent-free microwave extraction and headspace solid-phase microextraction methods have been compared and evaluated for their effectiveness in the isolation of essential oils of stems, leaves and fruits of Artemisia absinthium L. and then, the essential oils were analyzed by a combination of GC and GC/MS. A total of 72 components were identified accounting for 95.57-100 % of the oil composition. In hydrodistillation method, 16, 21 and 31 components were identified in the stem, leaf and fruit, which represented 100, 98.74 and 97.97 % of the total composition of the oil, respectively. In solvent-free microwave extraction method, 27, 23 and 20 components were identified in the stem, leaf and fruit, which represented 98.25, 99.70 and 99.99 % of the total composition of the oil, respectively. In headspace solid-phase microextraction method, 37, 37 and 31 components were identified in the stem, leaf and fruit, which represented 99.35, 98.69 and 95.57 % of the total composition of the oil, respectively. In these methods, b-thujone, 1,8-cineole, cis-chrysanthenol, sabinene and a-phellandrene were the major compounds in the oils of different organs. This Artemisia was rich in monoterpens. The highest percent monoterpene hydrocarbons and oxygenated monoterpens were in the fruit in case of the headspace-solvent-free microwave extraction method, in the amount of 48.58 and 72.71 %, respectively. Statistically differences were obtained in the compositions and the chemical class distribution.