Etude d’activité anti-oxydante et activité antibactérienne des trois plantes médicinales (Artemisia absinthium, Artemisia Herba Alba, Mentha pulegium) de la région d’Ain Témouchent

Abstract

This study aims to investigate the antibacterial and antioxidant activities of essential oils derived from three aromatic medicinal plants: Artemisia absinthium (white wormwood), Artemisia herba alba (herbaceous wormwood), and Mentha pulegium (pennyroyal). The essential oils were extracted via hydrodistillation. The antioxidant activity, assessed using the FRAP method, revealed a highly promising antioxidant effect for the studied oils. The IC50 values obtained were 0.18 mg/ml for Artemisia absinthium, 1.43 mg/ml for Artemisia herba alba, and 1.51 mg/ml for Mentha pulegium, which are relatively close to the IC50 value of BHT, although the antioxidant capacity remains lower than that of ascorbic acid (vitamin C). The antibacterial activity was evaluated using the disk diffusion method against nine bacterial strains, including five Gram-negative (E. coli ATCC 25922, P. aeruginosa Cip A22, P. aeruginosa ATCC 27853, C. freundii ATCC 13316, K. pneumoniae ATCC 13883) and four Gram-positive (S. aureus ATCC 43300, S. aureus ATCC 25923, S. aureus ATCC 33862, B. cereus ATCC 10876) strains. All tested oils exhibited inhibitory activity against all strains, with sensitivity ranging from moderate to very high. The results demonstrated varying antibacterial activity depending on the essential oils and the tested microorganisms. The essential oils of Artemisia herba alba and Mentha pulegium showed high efficacy against Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus, while the essential oil of Artemisia absinthium displayed notable activity against Citrobacter freundii and Bacillus cereus. These findings highlight the significant potential of essential oils as natural alternatives to conventional antibacterial agents. However, further research is needed to elucidate the mechanisms of action and to explore the potential therapeutic applications of these essential oils.