Free radical scavenging activity, total phenolic content and the chemical composition of the essential oil isolated by steam distillation from Artemisia dracunculus L. was investigated. The isolation yield was 0.24% (v/w) based on the fresh plant material (leaves). GC-MS investigation identified 21 components, accounting 99.93% of the total amount. The major components were sabinene (42.38%), isoelemicin (12.91%), methyl eugenol (9.09%), elemicin (7.95%) and beta-ocimene (6.46%). The free radical scavenging activity of the essential oil of Artemisia dracunculus L. was evaluated in vitro by the DPPH assay (IC50 = 0.730 � 0.213 mg/mL), BHA and alpha-tocopherol were used as a positive control. The total phenolic content of the tarragon essential oil was evaluated by the Folin-Ciocalteu method (GAE = 0.451 � 0.001 mg/g sample). In view of these data, we consider that tarragon essential oil could represent a new antioxidants source as a reliable option to reduce the usage of synthetic additives.
Artemisia dracunculus Essential Oil Chemical composition and antioxidant properties
