Extraction and determination of the main components of the essential oil of Ducrosia anethifolia by gc and gc/ms

Ducrosia anethifolia is used to improve the smell of foods and drinks. It is also used as fodder for sheep and camel. It is used to treat catarrh, headache, and backache in folk medicine. The herb is also reported to relax the mind and body and induce a peaceful sleep. The aim of this study was to extract the essential oil from the herb and determine its main components by GC and GC/MS and to study the Anti-insomnia effect of the herb. Capillary GC was performed using a Varian Gas Chromatograph model CP-3800, and a computerized GC/MS system. The identification of the components were assigned on the basis of standard samples on CP-Sil 8 CB, 60 M×0.32. Additional information was assigned by GC/ MS and comparison of the spectra obtained from the literature. Among the componenets that were identified in the essntial oil of Ducrosia anethifolia are ?-Pinen, Citronellal, Limonene, Linalool, and Myrcene with a total of 15.54 percent calculated from the peak areas without correction factor. They are all contributed to the desired activity effect of the oil like CNS-depressant, myorelaxant, narcotic, sedetive, and tanquilizer activity. All of these activities are included in insomnia and play an important rule in the anti-insomnia ability of the herb. The details will be presented in the 2nd International Congress on Traditional Medicine & Materia Medica.