ARTEMISIA OIL

Botanical Name Artemisia vulgaris L.
Synonyms Artemisia absinthium L. (wormwood)
Family Compositae (Asteraceae)
Local Name Titepati
English Name Mugwort

Plant Description

Mugwort is widely distributed throughout Nepal at an altitude of 300m to 2500m. It is a plant growing on nitrogenous soils, like weedy and uncultivated areas, such as waste places and roadsides.

It is a tall herbaceous perennial plant growing 1-2 m with a woody root. The leaves are aromatic,5-20 cm long, dark green, pinnate, alternate, with dense white tomentose hairs on the underside. The erect stem often has a red purplish tinge. Inconspicuous flower occurs in a cluster at the top of the plants. Individual heads are 2.5-3 mm wide and appear on short stalks. Its flowering occurs from July to September.

Extraction

Artemisia oil is extracted from steam distillation of aerial parts, flower tops, and leaves of Artemisia vulgaris. The oil yield percentage is very low.

Uses

The species has several recorded historic uses in food, herbal medicine, and as a smoking herb. It is traditionally used as an anthelmintic, expectorant, stomachic, antiseptic, emmenagogue, hemorrhage, etc. Roots are used as a tonic.

Artemisia oil has a wide range of therapeutic uses such as carminative, anthelmintic, antispasmodic, choleretic, diuretic, nervine, stimulant, stomachache, tonic, etc. The oil is used as a disinfectant, room freshener, and used as a fragrant component in soaps and perfumes. Mugwort contains Thujone, which is toxic for prolonged intake in large amounts. Pregnant women, in particular, should avoid consuming large amounts of Mugwort.

Organoleptic Properties

Appearance: A fluid liquid
Colour: Pale Yellow
Aroma: Powerful, fresh camphoraceous,bitter herbaceous odour

Active Constituents

Artemisia alcohol, artemisyl acetate, isobornyl acetate, (Z)-β-ocymen, terpinolene, artemisia ketone, borneol, bornyl acetate, camphene, camphor, carvone, trans-carveol, trans-pinocarveol, cis-chrysanthenol, dehydrosabinaketone, methyleugenol, verbenyl acetate, p-cymene-8-ol, piperitone, p-mentha-1,4-dien-7-ol, sabinaketone, trans-verbenol, cuminol, cymene .isoborneol, isobornyl 2-methyl butyrate, menthol, iso-3-thujanol, limonene, (E)-β-ocymen, 3-thujanol, 4-terpineol, cis-thujone, linalool, chrysanthenyl acetate, β-myrcene, sabinene, cis-sabinene hydrate, trans-sabinene hydrate, Santolina triene, α-thujone, β-thujone are the constituents present in the Artemisia oil.

Physico-Chemical Properties

Specific gravity 0.8786 to 0.9265 at 25°C?>
Optical rotation [-]7°to [-]25 at 25°C?>
Refractive index 1.350 to 1.49 at 25°C?>
Acid number 2.49 to 6.5
Ester number 25.05 to 55
Ester number 65 to 90 (after acetylation) (after acetylation)
Solubility Soluble in alcohol, Insoluble in water