Chemical Constituents, Total Phenolic Content, Antimicrobial, Antioxidant and Radical Scavenging Properties, Chelating Ability, Tyrosinase Inhibition and In Vitro Cytotoxic Effects of Artemisia Aucheri Herbs

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The aim of this study was to investigate the chemical constituents, chelating ability, tyrosinase inhibition, antimicrobial, antioxidant, cytotoxic, and radical scavenging activities of the essential oil of Artemisia aucheri Boiss., an endemic Asteraceae herb growing wild in Iran. Water-distilled essential oil of A. aucheri was analyzed by GC and GC/MS. The antibacterial activity of the oil was evaluated by determination of inhibition zones, minimum inhibitory concentration, minimum bactericidal concentration, and decimal reduction time. Phenolic content of the oil was determined using the Folin – Ciocalteu assay. Antioxidant properties of the oil of A. aucheri were determined by three methods: the ferric reducing antioxidant power, bleaching of DPPH, and a-carotene–linoleic acid assay. Cytotoxicity was measured using a modified MTT assay. Radical scavenging activities, chelating ability, and tyrosinase inhibitory effect were determined by spectrophotometric techniques. Camphor (25.15%), 1,8-cineole (18.26%), and verbenone (16.63%) were the major components in this oil. Bactericidal kinetics of the oil indicates that C. albicans is the most vulnerable strain (MIC = 0.04 mg/mL). Total phenolic content of the oil was found to be 133.87 ± 6.50 ig GAE/mg. The A. aucheri oil exhibited a dose-dependent scavenging of DPPH, nitric oxide, and superoxide anion radicals with IC₅₀ values of 15.75 mg/mL, 21.73 μg and 44.31 μg, respectively. Ferrous-ion chelating activity of the oil (IC₅₀ = 452.35 μg) was lower than that of EDTA. IC₅₀ values for HeLa and lymphocyte cells were found to be 7.11 and 6322.85 μg/mL, respectively. The results suggest application of A. aucheri oil as a natural antioxidant and anticancer agent.