Antimicrobial activities of Korean mugwort (Artemisia iwayomogi and Artemisia princeps) extracts against Staphylococcus aureus and Cutibacterium acnes

Abstract

Cutibacterium acnes and Staphylococcus aureus are recognized as pus-forming bacteria that trigger skin inflammation in acne. The goal of this research was to determine the antimicrobial activity of Korean mugworts including In-jin-ssuk (Artemisia iwayomogi) and Yak-ssuk (Artemisia princeps). Dried mugwort powders were extracted using water, ethanol and methanol. The antimicrobial activities of the extracts were evaluated by determining minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) and squares of inhibition zone widths. The chemical compositions of the chloroform fractions were analyzed by GC/MS. The inhibitory effects of the ethanol and methanol extracts of In-jin-ssuk (A. iwayomogi) (20 mg/mL) against C. acnes were significantly greater than the inhibitory effect of the water extract (p<0.05). Among various extracts, the ethanol extract of A. iwayomogi exhibited the greatest antimicrobial activity against S. aureus. The MICs of the chloroform fractions of ethanol- and methanol-extracted A. iwayomogi were determined to be 15 and 10 mg/mL, respectively, against both C. acnes and S. aureus. The chloroform fraction of the methanol extract exhibited squares of zone widths of 44 and 41 mm2 against C. acnes and S. aureus, respectively, which were the highest among the tested fractions. Scopoletin (484 mg/100 g) was found to be a major phenolic compound in the chloroform extract, while 2-furanmethanol (61 mg/100 g) and isofraxidin (55 mg/100 g) were minor phenolic compounds.