Hemi-synthesis of Thione and Thiol Derivatives from Artemisia judaica L. Essential Oil, and Antimicrobial Tests

The applications of organosulfur compounds, especially thioketones are varied which concerns both synthetic and biological chemistry. In this context, from the essential oil of Artemisia judaica L., extracted by hydrodistillation, and consisting mainly of piperitone (91.77 %), thione, and thiol derivatives were hemi-synthesized via a thionylation reaction byphosphorus pentasulphide (P2S5). The possible thione-thiol tautomerism in solution followed spectrophotometrically revealed the predominance of thiol form in solution. The antimicrobial activity of essential oils showed that the thionylation of essential oil caused a considerable increase in antimicrobial activity in particular against Escherichia coli.