Chemical profiling and assessment of biological activities of wild Artemisia absinthium L. essential oil from Algeria

Abstract

Artemisia absinthium L. (A. absinthium L.) is an important perennial shrubby plant widely employed in traditional medicine for the treatment of several ailments including gastritis, wound healing, and digestive disorders. In this study we assessed the chemical composition, as well as the antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and analgesic activities of a pure essential oil obtained from the aerial part of A. absinthium L., growing wild in Cherchell (Tipaza, Algeria). The essential oil, obtained through hydrodistillation using a Clevenger-type apparatus, underwent gas chromatography-flame ionization detection (GC-FID) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis. The essential oil yield was 0.67 ± 0.02% (w/w), comprising 38 identified components, constituting 89.05% of the essential oil. Notable components included trans-thujone (54.7%), chamazulene (10.05%), β-eudesmol (4.7%), cis-thujone (4.2%), terpinen-4-ol (4.2%), and germacrene D (4.1%). Antioxidant activities were assessed via the DPPH٠free radical test (IC50: 489.19 ± 5.28 μg/mL) and the reducing power test (EC0.5: 424.95 ± 1.25 μg/mL). While the essential oil exhibited relatively low antioxidant activity compared to standard antioxidants, it showed significant antioxidant activity in the β-carotene-linoleic acid test (78.38 ± 0.83%). An acute toxicity study using various essential oil doses (10-100 mg/kg) revealed no signs of toxicity or mortality. Anti-inflammatory and antinociceptive activities were observed when testing the essential oil on carrageenan-induced paw edema in mice and acetic acid-induced pain in mice, with significant reductions (P < 0.05). In conclusion, A. absinthium L. essential oil possesses antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antinociceptive properties, suggesting its potential as a natural preservative ingredient in the food, cosmetics, and pharmaceutical industries.