The chemical composition of the aerial parts essential oil of Phagnalon sinaicum collected in the Negev Desert (Israel)

The genus Phagnalon Cass. (Asteraceae) is widely distributed from Macaronesia in the West to the Himalayas in the East, from South France and Nord Italy to Ethiopia and Arabian Peninsula. Species of this genus have been used in folk medicine of many countries as medicinal herbs and they are also used such as food. The extracts and the essential oils (EOs) of these plants have reported antimicrobial, antioxidant, antidiabetic, antitumor, etc. properties and they have different biological applications. Phagnalon sinaicum Bornm. and Kneuck. is a very rare plant native of Middle East. It grows primarily in the desert or dry scrubland biome. Its EO, never previously investigated, was analysed by GC-MS. The EO was very rich in oxygenated monoterpenes, with artemisia ketone (20.40%), a-thujone (19.36%), and santolina alcohol (13.29%) as main constituent. Some considerations with respect to all the other EOs of Phagnalon taxa studied so far were carried out.