مساهمة في دراسة فيتو كيميائية مقارنة لنوعين من جنس Artemisia لممارسات نقليدية علاجية لمرض القلون العصبي ( I B S )

Abstract

To valorize wild medicinal plants used in the treatment of Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), this survey and biochemical study was conducted on two species of the genus Artemisia. Initially, an online survey was launched across various regions of Algeria, involving 214 participants from different demographics. The field investigation identified a list of the most commonly used traditional plants, with Artemisia ranking first as the most frequently cited plant. The survey also revealed that bloating and gas are the primary symptoms driving patients to resort to herbal medicine, with a strong preference for using the plants as a "decoction/infusion" as the most prevalent preparation method. Based on these findings, Artemisia was selected for further investigation, focusing on two specific species: white wormwood (Artemisia herba-alba) and absinthe wormwood (Artemisia absinthium). To achieve the study's objectives, qualitative phytochemical screening was performed, revealing that both species are rich in secondary metabolites (anthocyanins, saponins, flavonoids, terpenes, and tannins), while starch was completely absent. A noticeable variation was recorded in the yield of the aqueous extract (13.8% for A. herba-alba and 6.4% for A. absinthium). Regarding quantitative estimation, A. herba-alba recorded the highest total phenolic content at (33.93 ± 0.48 µg/ml) gallic acid equivalent, while A. absinthium recorded a lower concentration at (17.88 ± 0.55 µg/ml). Conversely, the results revealed a close similarity in flavonoid content between the two species, reaching (13.95 ± 0.77 µg/ml) for A. herba-alba and (14.81 ±0.55 µg/ml) for A. absinthium of quercetin equivalent. Based on this chemical richness, the antioxidant activity evaluated using the DPPH free radical assay demonstrated significant efficacy. The values were estimated at (56.48 µg/ml) and (137.13 µg/ml), respectively, compared to ascorbic acid (20.25 µg/ml) As for the antibacterial activity, the aqueous extracts showed clear and high inhibitory capacity, particularly against the Staphylococcus aureus strain. The A. herba-alba extract recorded the best inhibition zone diameter at 37 mm, followed by A. absinthium at 29 mm at a concentration of 80 mg/ml, while the Escherichia coli strain exhibited relative resistance to the tested concentrations, with inhibition zones reaching 17 mm for A. herba-alba and 26 mm for A. absinthium at the highest concentration.