Essential oil content, composition, and bioactivity of sagebrush species in the Bighorn Mountains

Authors: ZHELJAZKOV, VALTCHO - Oregon State University; Cantrell, Charles; JELIAZKOVA, EKATERINA - Oregon State University; ASTATKIE, TESS - Oregon State University; SCHLEGEL, VICKI - University Of Nebraska

Submitted to: Plants
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/28/2022
Publication Date: 5/1/2022
Citation: Zheljazkov, V.D., Cantrell, C.L., Jeliazkova, E.L., Astatkie, T., Schlegel, V. 2022. Sagebrush species of the U.S. Bighorn Mountains: essential oil content, composition, and bioactivity. Plants. https://doi.org/10.3390/plants11091228.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/plants11091228

Interpretive Summary: Sagebrush (Artemisia spp.) are dominant wild plants in large areas of the U.S., Canada and Mexico, and include several species and subspecies. The hypothesis was that there are significant differences in essential oil (EO) content, composition, and biological activity of sagebrush within the Bighorn Mountains, U.S. There was significant variability in the EO profile between species, and subspecies. The antioxidant capacity of the EOs varied between the species and subspecies. None of the sagebrush EOs had significant antimicrobial, antimalarial, and antileishmanial activity, and contained podophyllotoxin. Some accessions yielded EO with significant concentrations of important compounds including camphor, eucalyptol, cis-thujone, a-pinene, a-necrodol-acetate, fragranol, grandisol, para-cymene, and arthole. Therefore, chemotypes can be selected and possibly introduced into culture and be grown for commercial production of these compounds to meet specific industry needs.

Technical Abstract: Sagebrush (Artemisia spp.) are dominant wild plants in large areas of the U.S., Canada and Mexico, and include several species and subspecies. The hypothesis was that there are significant differences in essential oil (EO) content, composition, and biological activity of sagebrush within the Bighorn Mountains, U.S. The EO yield in fresh herbage varied from 0.15 to 1.69% for all species, including 0.25-1.69% in A. tridentata var. vaseyana, 0.64-1.44% in A. tridentata var. tridentata, 1% in A. tridentata var. wyomingensis, 0.8-1.2% in A. longifolia, 0.8-1% in A. cana and 0.16% in A. ludoviciana. There was significant variability in the EO profile between species, and subspecies. Some EO constituents, such as a-pinene (0-35.5%), camphene (0-21.5%), eucalyptol (0-30.8%), and camphor (0-45.5%), were found in most species and varied with species and subspecies. The antioxidant capacity of the EOs varied between the species and subspecies. None of the sagebrush EOs had significant antimicrobial, antimalarial, and antileishmanial activity, and contained podophyllo-toxin. Some accessions yielded EO with significant concentrations of compounds including camphor, eucalyptol, cis-thujone, a-pinene, a-necrodol-acetate, fragranol, grandisol, para-cymene, and arthole. Therefore, chemotypes can be selected and possibly introduced into culture and be grown for commercial production of these compounds to meet specific industry needs.