absinthium L. of different geographical origin

Abstract. Variations in the essential oil composition of Artemisia absinthium L. obtained from different geographical areas of Europe were determined using capillary gas chromatographic and mass spectrometric analysis methods. The oils from air-dried wormwood were obtained in yields of 0.1–1.1%. The Absinthii herba grown in Estonia corresponded to the EP standards in the aspect of the essential oil contents. A total of 107 components were identified, representing over 85 % of the total yield of oil. The principal components in the oils were sabinene (0.9–30.1%), myrcene (0.1–38.9%), 1,8-cineole (0.1–18.0%), artemisia ketone (0–14.9%), linalool and α-thujone (1.1–10.9%), β-thujone (0.1–64.6%), trans-epoxyocimene (0.1–59.7%), trans-verbenol (0–11.7%), carvone (0–18.5%), (E)-sabinyl acetate (0–70.5%), curcumene (0–7.0%), neryl butyrate (0.1–13.9%), neryl 2-methyl-butanoate (0.1–9.2%), neryl 3-methylbutanoate (0.4–7.3%), and chamazulene (0–6.6%). Mono-terpenes were predominant (44.0–67.9%) in the oils from Scotland, Estonia (2000, 2002), Moldova, and Hungary. In the other oils studied oxygenated monoterpenes (41.2–93.9%) were found to predominate. The highest content of oxygenated sesquiterpenes (11.9–29.8%) was found in the oil