Abstract

Artemisia annua is widely used as a key component of traditional Chinese medicine in China. The components of the essential oil extracted by hydro distillation from the stems and spikes of A. annua were identified using chromatography–mass spectrometry(GC/MS). The stem oil was composed of 50 components, while the spike oil contained 41 components. 30 compounds were found in both oils. 18 unreported compounds were Piperitone, Octanal and 1,4-Diphenyl-2- butanone etc. From the spike oil the relative content of terpenoids was higher than that from the stem oil. The antimicrobial activity of the spike oil was more active than that of the stem oil. Antimicrobial properties of the plant in Qingyang in China to Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus may be stronger than those in Marseilles in France.

Key words: Artemisia annua, essential oil, aerial part, chromatography–mass spectrometry, antimicrobial activity.