Objective: To analyze the main chemical constituents of volatile oil in Artemisia argyi from Gansu

and explore its genotoxicity in mice. Method: ①Constituents analysis: the chemical constituents of volatile oil in A. argyi were separated and identified by GC-MS

the relative content of each component was determined by area normalization. ②Micronucleus assay: thirty Kunming pregnant mice were randomly divided into 5 groups: normal control group

ig given with peanut oil in equal volume; volatile oil 2

1

0.5 mL·kg-1 groups

ig given volatile oil; and positive control group

ip given cyclophosphamide(CP) 40 mg·kg-1.The normal control group and volatile group were ig administrated once a day from the 12th day of pregnancy to the 16 th day

for 5 d

while positive control group was ip given CP on the 15th day of pregnancy for 2 d.On the 16th day

the pregnant mice in each group were sacrificed to take out the embryo from mice

micronucleus test of adult mice bone marrow cells and fetal mice hepatocytes were carried out. ③Sperm abnormality assay: forty male mice were randomly divided into 5 groups

the doses and administration of each group were similar to micronucleus test. The drugs was administered for 5 days. After 35 d of first medication

the mice were sacrificed to take out the epididymis and produce the sperm smear

and examination of sperm deformity was carried out. Result: Seventy-two components were isolated from volatile oil and fifty-six of them were identified

which was about 90.83% of all components. Compared with control group

the micronucleus rates of bone marrow and fetal hepatic cell and teratospermia number were all significantly increased (P<0.05) at a oral dose of 2 mL·kg-1; only the micronucleus rate on fetal liver was increased significantly (P<0.05) with the oral dose of 1 mL·kg-1; there was no statistic difference in any of the indexes at the dose of 0.5 mL·kg-1. Conclusion: The main chemical components of volatile oil in A. argyi from Gansu are 1

8-cineole(20.45%)

artemisia alcohol (12.12%)

camphor(6.99%)

Artemisia ketone(5.85%)

L-borneol (4.27%)

et al. A potential dose-related genotoxicity of volatile oil in A. argyi has been verified in this research.