Flavor compounds and bioactivity of the essential oils of Artemisia argyi leaves from different origins in China

Artemisiae Argyi Folium is regarded for its applications in traditional Chinese medicines and foods. However, differences in aroma and flavor compounds of A. argyi essential oils (AAEOs) from various growth origins are not known. In this study, AAEOs were extracted using hydrodistillation from three genuine regions: Henan (AAEO-HN), Hubei (AAEO-HB), and Guangxi (AAEO-GX) provinces. The differences in flavor compounds were further determined through olfactory sensory evaluation, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), and relative aroma activity value (ROAV) analysis, and the antibacterial and antioxidant activity was also evaluated. The results showed that the optimized extraction conditions were sample-to-solvent ratio of 1:10 and hydrodistillation time of over 3.0 h. The overall yield rate of AAEO-HN (0.49%) was higher than that of the other two, and AAEO-HN exhibited a special medicinal herb aroma along with distinct freshness and cool attributes. AAEO-GX possessed the more intense floral, oil, and sweetness aromas. The content of total flavor compounds in AAEO-HN (754.540 mg/g) was higher than those of AAEO-HB and AAEO-GX. The key mutual flavor compounds were determined as 1,8-cineole, camphor, α-terpineol, β-thujone, β-sesquiphellandrene, β-caryophyllene, and caryophyllene oxide. The characteristic medicinal herb, freshness, and cool aromas of AAEO-HN could be attributed to the high ROAV values of 1,8-cineole, camphor, and β-thujone, and the more intense floral and sweetness aroma notes of AAEO-GX could be associated with the high ROAV values of caryophyllene oxide and β-sesquiphellandrene. AAEO-HN showed stronger antibacterial effects than the other two, especially against Bacillus subtilis with MIC of 0.24 mg/mL.