ALTITUDINAL INFLUENCE ON PHYTOCHEMICAL PROFILES AND BIOACTIVITIES OF METHANOL EXTRACTS OF ARTEMISIA VULGARIS
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.3126/jist.v31i1.90266Keywords:
Antibacterial, Antioxidant, Artemisia vulgaris, Bioactive, Flavonoids, ToxicityAbstract
Artemisia vulgaris is a plant of therapeutic importance distributed across a wide altitudinal range throughout Nepal. This study investigates the influence of altitudinal variations on the phytochemical content and bioactivities of A. vulgaris, gathered from three different altitudes of Nepal: Bharatpur (201 m), Lamidada (1396 m), and Daman (2322 m). Aerial parts of the samples were extracted with methanol through cold-percolation and subjected to spectrophotometric evaluation of total flavonoid content (TFC) and total phenolic content (TPC) employing aluminium chloride and Folin-Ciocalteu reagents. Antioxidant potentials were assayed as DPPH (2,2-Diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) radical-scavenging percentage, antibacterial activity via agar well diffusion method (targeting Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Escherichia coli), and toxicity by brine shrimp lethality assay. The results demonstrated significant variations (p<0.05) in the phytochemical contents and bioactivities, increasing with altitude. The highest TFC and TPC were observed in samples from Daman. Correspondingly, the Daman sample showed the strongest antioxidant potency (the lowest IC50 = 58.09 ± 0.04 μg/mL). All the extracts demonstrated moderate toxicity (LC50 < 500 μg/mL), with the sample collected from Bharatpur being the most toxic. Antibacterial activity varied significantly (p<0.05), with the Bharatpur and Daman samples showing relatively greater zones of inhibition (ZOI), particularly against E. coli and P. aeruginosa. These findings indicated that A. vulgaris responds to altitudinal stress by altering its bioactive secondary metabolite production, enhancing its antioxidant and antibacterial properties. The study supports the ethnomedicinal relevance of this species and highlights its potential as a natural source of therapeutic agents.
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