Antioxidant, antimicrobial, and toxicity profile of essential oils from endemic Moroccan <i>Artemisia herba-alba</i>

Abstract

This study characterized Artemisia herba alba Asso essential oils (EOs) from three Moroccan regions (AH1- Oulad Ali Youssef, AH2- Serghina, AH3- Midelt), analyzing their chemical composition, bioactivity, toxicity, and molecular interactions with biological targets. The EOs were extracted by hydrodistillation and analyzed by GC-MS. Physicochemical properties (pH, density, acidity, peroxide, and iodine values) were evaluated. Antioxidant activity was evaluated by the DPPH method, antimicrobial activity by microdilution, and acute toxicity by albino mice test. Molecular docking elucidated compound-target interactions. The content of EOs varied depending on the region: 1.19 ± 0.05% (AH1), 0.78 ± 0.03% (AH2) and 1.02 ± 0.08% (AH3). The chemical profiles were dominated by camphor (19.59%), trans-thujone (28.53%) and davana ether (23.18%). All EOs showed significant antimicrobial activity (MIC: 0.6–5 mg/mL) and antioxidant potential (ARP: 4.736 ± 0.06 (AH3), 1.116 ± 0.08 (AH2), 0.7352 ± 0.02 (AH1)). Acute toxicity tests showed no adverse effects. Molecular docking revealed strong interactions between the key compounds (cis-thujone, bisabolol oxide B, piperitenone) and the target enzymes, suggesting possible mechanisms of action. These results underline the influence of geographical origin on the composition and bioactivity of EOs and emphasize their importance for the development of natural products.