Extraction of Artemisia aucheri Essential Oils and Evaluation of their Chemical Composition and Antioxidant Activity

Introduction: Plants are an excellent source of biologically active phytochemical compounds that act as antioxidants to combat free radicals. The aim of this study is to chemically analyze the essential oil compounds (EOs) and evaluate the antioxidant capacity of Artemisia aucheri flowers in vitro. Materials and Methods: Artemisia aucheri was collected from the Kashan region of Isfahan Province, Iran. The flower essential oil was extracted using a Clevenger apparatus, and its components were separated and identified using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Results: The antioxidant properties of the flower essential oil were evaluated using the DPPH free radical scavenging method and the β-carotene-linoleic acid bleaching test. Data analysis was performed using SPSS ۲۰ software. The major compounds identified in the flower essential oil were camphene (۳۱.۰۵%), β-myrcene (۲۶.۱۸%), and camphor (۱۵.۴۱%). The DPPH assay showed that the essential oil exhibited significant free radical inhibition, while the β-carotene assay used ascorbic acid as a positive control. Conclusions: Research indicates that many factors influence the primary composition of plants, including climatic conditions, soil type, and genetic factors. Due to the hydrophilic nature of the DPPH assay, the IC۵۰ value of the essential oil was higher than that of ascorbic acid, indicating lower activity in this assay. Conversely, due to the lipophilic nature of the β-carotene assay, the IC۵۰ value of the essential oil was lower than that of ascorbic acid, suggesting stronger antioxidant activity in lipophilic environments.

کلیدواژه ها:

Artemisia oucheri ، DPPH Method ، Beta-Carotene Method ، Antioxidant activity ، Essential oil