Etude des Activités Biologiques de Deux Plantes du Genre Artemisia et Juniperus

Abstract

This study focuses on the evaluation of certain biological activities of methanolic and ethanolic extracts from Artemisia herba alba and Juniperus phoenicea, two medicinal plants widely used in traditional medicine. The extracts, obtained by cold maceration of the leaves, were subjected to phytochemical screening, as well as antioxidant (DPPH) and antimicrobial tests (disc diffusion, MIC, and MBC). The results revealed that the extracts are rich in bioactive compounds, particularly polyphenols (198.66 ± 2.35 mg GAE/g in the methanolic extract of J. phoenicea) and flavonoids (87.31 ± 0.1 mg EQE/g in the methanolic extract of A. herba alba). The highest antioxidant activity was recorded for the methanolic extract of J. phoenicea (IC₅₀ = 59.59 µg/ml), followed by its ethanolic extract (IC₅₀ = 79.18 µg/ml), while A. herba alba showed higher IC₅₀ values (202.8 and 381.7 µg/ml, respectively). Regarding antimicrobial activity, J. phoenicea was active against Bacillus subtilis (13.5 mm) and Bacillus cereus (10.5 mm), whereas A. herba alba exhibited more moderate activity (9 to 10 mm), along with an effect against Candida albicans (7 mm). The lowest MIC values were observed against B. cereus and C. albicans (0.78 mg/ml for A. herba alba), suggesting greater affinity for Gram-positive and fungal strains. These findings highlight the potential of these plants as natural sources of bioactive compounds and open interesting prospects for their application in the pharmaceutical, food, and cosmetic industries.