Biochemical and Pharmacological Evaluation of Selected Artemisia Species with Antioxidant and Antimicrobial Activities

Abstract

The genus Artemisia is recognized for its diverse secondary metabolites and therapeutic potential; however, evaluating species from the Nakhchivan region is significant for mapping their regional bioactive profiles. This study investigated the chemical characteristics, antioxidant activity, and antimicrobial effects of three Artemisia species collected from the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic to reveal their potential pharmacological benefits. Ethanolic extracts of Artemisia lerchiana , Artemisia absinthium , and Artemisia dracunculus were prepared and total phenolic content (TPC) and total flavonoid content (TFC) were determined. Antimicrobial activity was assessed against Bacillus cereus , Staphylococcus epidermidis , Staphylococcus aureus , Escherichia coli , and Candida albicans . The TPC value of the Artemisia species ranged from 19.620 to 21.875 mg GAE/g plant, with A. dracunculus L. exhibited the highest TFC (6.642±0.076 mg QE/g plant). According to the FRAP assay, A. absinthium L. showed the highest antioxidant activity (3.551±0.220 µmol TE/g plant), whereas A. lerchiana and A. dracunculus exhibited the lowest SC₅₀ values in the DPPH assay. The extracts displayed varying degrees of antimicrobial activity, with A. dracunculus being the most effective, particularly against B. cereus and C. albicans , yielding inhibition zones of 12.05±0.05 mm and 14.48±0.03 mm, respectively. Gram-negative bacteria exhibited higher resistance to the tested extracts than Gram-positive species. These findings suggest that Artemisia species from the Nakhchivan region are promising sources of natural antioxidant and antimicrobial agents.