ABSTRACT
This chapter submits the data on studying the chemical composition of essential oils isolated from land parts of wild-growing plants of the Astrakhan region—European Bugleweed (Lycopus europaeus L.), Bugleweed High (Lycopus exaltatus L.); four endemic types of wormwood of the Astrakhan region such as Artemisia lerchiana, Artemisia santonica, Artemisia arenaria, Artemisia austriaca, as well as two species of the plants are introduced in the Astrakhan region—fennel gianthisson (Lophantus anisatum Benth.) and common hyssop (Hyssopus officinalis L.). The essential oils were extracted by the use of steam distillation during the vegetation and blossoming periods of the plants. The dependence of the yield of essential oil on plant species, habitat, and vegetation period are studied, the appearance and change range of reflective index are characterized. The quantitative analysis of components in essential oils was carried out by the method of gas-liquid chromatography. The yield of essential oil from L. exaltatus was 0.7-0.9%, L. europaeus gave 0.5-0.7%, four types of wormwood including A. lerchiana, A. santonica, A. arenaria, and A. austriaca gave 0.24-0.7% fennel gianthisson; 0.25-0.55%, common hyssop; and 0.1-0.8% in equivalent to air-dry raw materials, respectively, during vegetation and blossoming of plants. The chromatography-mass spectrometry was used to study the chemical composition of essential oils. In the sample of essential oil from European lycopus, 31 components were identified, the essentials ones are a-terpineol, caryophyllene oxide, and isoeugenol methyl ether. In the essential oil from high bugleweed, 12 components are most abundant, of which are 2,4-decadienal, 2,4-hexadien-1-ol, and a-limonene diepoxide are identified. The predominant components of essential oil from four studied types of wormwood are 1,8-cyneol, camphor, isobor- neol, terpine-4-ol, a-bisabolol, P-pinene, a-pinene, limonene, trans- pinocarvyl acetate, germacrene D, and y-elemene. The essential oil from fennel gianthisson differs for the high concentration of methyl chavicol, methyl eugenol, caryophyllene, and D-limonene. The main components of the essential oil from common hyssop are isopinocamphone and pinanediol. It is found that the essential oil from fennel gianthisson has a high antifungal activity versus Microsporum canis, Trichophyton rubrum, and Candida albicans.
