Contribution to phytochemical study and biological activities of Artemisia judaïca from the Algerian Sahara

This study aims to contribute to the valorisation of the Algerian desert flora, particularly the flora of Ahaggar, by conducting a phytochemical and biological investigation of the essential oil of Artemisia judaïca, a traditional aromatic plant used for various garlics in this region.

After the extraction of the essential oil, chromatographic analysis and evaluations of antimicrobial and antioxidant activities are performed on this plant. The results show a very high yield of essential oil on average (> 3.5 ml per 100 g of dry plant).

The studied essential oil of Artemisia judaïca is characterized by the presence of piperitone (73.65 %). This oil showed strong antifungal and antibacterial activities, probably due to its richness in piperitone. The evaluation of the antioxidant activity of the essential oil gave an IC₅₀ value of 2.77± 0.05 mg/ml. The β-carotene bleaching test confirmed the trapping power of this essential oil.