Естрагон

Tarragon, Artemisia dracunculus L., is a species in the family Asteraceae. Tarragon grows to 120-150 centimetres tall, with slender branches. French tarragon is the variety used for cooking. Russian tarragon can be grown from seed but is much weaker in flavor than the French variety. The collected raw material is dried in drying sheds with natural air circulation or heated to 35°C, and afterwards the leafy parts of the plant are separated from the hard stems.

Chemistry of the oil

The composition of the oil depends, among other things, on the location of the cultivation site, the salinity of the soil and the age of the plant. The main components of the oil are estragole (40-85%), sabinene (approximately 35%), methyl eugenol (approximately 25%) and elemicin (up to 57%). Phenylpropanoids (73.5%) constitute the main group of compounds in the oil, while monoterpenoids (24.3%) and sesquiterpenoids (0.2%) are present in considerably smaller amounts.

Estragole, also called methyl chavicol, is a phenylpropene. Estragole is an isomer of anethole. Estragole is used in perfumes and in flavorings for foods. Oil steam-distilled from common basil is also mainly estragole. Estragole is suspected to be carcinogenic and genotoxic.

Name

The species name dracunculus means 'little dragon', and the plant seems to be so named because of its coiled roots. English tarragon was borrowed from Middle French targon, from Medieval Latin tragonia, from Arabic طَرْخُون ( ṭarḵūn ). The plant is commonly known as dragon in Swedish and Dutch.

Uses and safety

Tarragon is one of the ingredients in chakapuli, a Georgian dish. The drink Tarkhuna is made out of sugar, carbonated water and tarragon leaves, which give it its signature green color. Tarragon oil is also used as a fragrance ingredient in cosmetics such as fragrances, moisturizer, massage oil, antiperspirant and deodorant.

In Canada, a draft chemical risk assessment proposes that tarragon oil may increase the risk of cancer when used in certain products that are inhaled or applied to the skin. The assessment is not yet final. Methyl eugenol, a chemical found in tarragon oil, is already described as restricted on the Cosmetic Ingredient Hotlist.

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