Geszprych A.

The aim of the study was to compare the content and composition of essential oil in wormwood herbs collected from eight natural sites in the Mrągowo administrative district. The raw material was harvested in the first ten days of August, separately from the plants being at vegetative and generative stage of development. The content of essential oil in the herb of flowering plants ranged from 0.90 to 1.45%, and in the herb of plants at the vegetative stage of development - from 0.60 to 0.94%. The main constituents of the essential oil were: sabinyl acetate (6 populations), sabinyl acetate and chrysanthenyl acetate (1 population), sabinyl acetate and α-thujone (1 population). In the essential oil of plants growing in Kol. Dłużec only some traces of α-thujone were found. All investigated essential oils were characterized by a relatively high content of cineol.

Key words: wormwood herb, natural sites, stage of plant development, chemical variability