Features of Accumulation of Essential Oil in Bitter Wormwood Herbs of Flora of Voronezh Region of Russia

Abstract

Introduction. The bitter wormwood herbs (Artemisia absinthium L.) is used to reflexively enhance gastric juice secretion, increase appetite, and increase bile secretion. These pharmacological effects are due to the rich chemical composition of the feedstock, of which essential oil is an important component. The study of the peculiarities of accumulation of this group of compounds is relevant.Aim. The aim of this study the features of the accumulation of essential oil in bitter wormwood herbs, collected in agro- and urbo-cenoses of the Voronezh region.Materials and methods. In the Voronezh region, 13 raw material harvesting points were chosen to study the content of essential oil in it, which was carried out according to the methodology of the FS "Bitter wormwood herbs." Correlation coefficients were analyzed to examine in detail the effect of basic pollutants (heavy metals and arsenic) on the accumulation of essential oil.Results and discussion. All analyzed vegetable raw materials are considered benign in terms of essential oil content. The maximum amount of essential oil (2.04 %) is noted in a sample of bitter wormwood herbs growing on the territory of the Khopersky Reserve. The minimum amount of essential oil was noted in a sample collected on the street of the city of Voronezh (0.63 %). In general, for samples of control territories and agrobiocenoses, a higher content of essential oil can be noted than in samples of urbobiocenoses. Thus, the content of essential oil in the herb of bitter wormwood collected in territories deprived of human economic activity amounted to 1.85–2.04 %, near agricultural land – 1.61–1.85 %. In a number of urbanized territories, samples of bitter wormwood herbs with a much lower content of essential oil were harvested – less than 1 % – on the streets of the cities of Voronezh, Ostrogozhsk, Borisoglebsk, along the M4 highway in Ramonsky and Pavlovsky districts, along the railway. The calculated values of correlation coefficients showed a strong negative effect of lead, cadmium, nickel, cobalt, zinc on the accumulation of essential oil bitter wormwood herb.Conclusion. The lowest content of essential oil was found in samples harvested on the streets of large cities of the region, along road routes and the railway. This makes it possible to conclude that the anthropogenic load has a negative effect on the accumulation of this group of compounds in bitter wormwood herbs.

Keywords

• voronezh region
• bitter wormwood
• essential oil
• agrocenoses
• urbocenoses