title: Antimicrobial, antioxidative, and insect repellent effects of Artemisia absinthium essential oil.
abstract: In this paper, the chemical composition and biological activity of the essential oil of Artemisia absinthium was studied. The aim of this study was to investigate the potential of ethnopharmacological uses of this plant species in the treatment of gastrointestinal diseases and wounds, and as an insect repellent. The aerial part of the plant was hydrodistilled, and the chemical composition of the essential oil was analyzed by gas chromatography and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. Forty-seven compounds, corresponding to 94.65 % of the total oil, were identified, with the main constituents being sabinene (24.49 %), sabinyl acetate (13.64 %), and α-phellandrene (10.29 %). The oil yield was 0.23 % (v/w). The antimicrobial activity of the oil was investigated against ten bacterial isolates (from patients wounds and stools) and seven American Type Culture Collection strains using a microwell dilution assay. The minimal inhibitory/bactericidal concentration of the oil ranged from < 0.08 to 2.43 mg/mL and from 0.08 to 38.80 mg/mL, respectively. The antioxidant activity of the essential oil was evaluated using 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazil and 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid) radical-scavenging methods and assessed as significant. Skin irritation potential and acute toxicity of the oil were also investigated. Results of the skin irritant reaction showed that none of the 30 volunteers developed a positive skin irritant reaction to undiluted A. absinthium essential oil. Acute oral exposure to the essential oil did not cause mortality in the treated mice, but it did cause neurological, muscle, and gastrointestinal problems. A subchronic toxicity test on Drosophila melanogaster showed that the essential oil of A. absinthium is toxic for developing insect larvae. Starting with the concentration of 0.38 % of essential oil in medium, significant mortality of larvae exposed to the oil was noted when compared to the control. Probit analysis revealed that the LC50 value of A. absinthium essential oil for D. melanogaster larvae after 15 days of exposure was 6.31 % (49 mg/mL). The essential oil also affected the development of D. melanogaster larvae and significantly delayed achievement of the pupa stadium.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Sciences and Mathematics, University of Niš, Niš, Serbia.
authors.forename: Tatjana
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Mihajilov-Krstev
authors.affiliation: Chair for Fish Diseases and Fisheries Biology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: Boris
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Jovanović
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Sciences and Mathematics, University of Niš, Niš, Serbia.
authors.forename: Jovana
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Jović
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine, University of Niš, Niš, Serbia.
authors.forename: Budimir
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ilić
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine, University of Niš, Niš, Serbia.
authors.forename: Dragoljub
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Miladinović
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine, University of Niš, Niš, Serbia.
authors.forename: Jelena
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Matejić
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Sciences and Mathematics, University of Niš, Niš, Serbia.
authors.forename: Jelena
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rajković
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Sciences and Mathematics, University of Niš, Niš, Serbia.
authors.forename: Ljubiša
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Dorđević
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Sciences and Mathematics, University of Niš, Niš, Serbia.
authors.forename: Vladimir
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Cvetković
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Sciences and Mathematics, University of Niš, Niš, Serbia.
authors.forename: Bojan
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Zlatković
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D000890:Anti-Infective Agents / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D031171:Artemisia absinthium / Q000737:chemistry*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004331:Drosophila melanogaster / Q000187:drug effects; D004353:Drug Evaluation, Preclinical / Q000379:methods; D005243:Feces / Q000382:microbiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007302:Insect Repellents / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D009822:Oils, Volatile / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010946:Plants, Medicinal / Q000737:chemistry; D055771:Serbia; D023422:Skin Irritancy Tests / Q000379:methods; D023382:Toxicity Tests, Acute; D059550:Toxicity Tests, Subchronic; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000890:Anti-Infective Agents; D000975:Antioxidants; D007302:Insect Repellents; D009822:Oils, Volatile