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This is a In Vitro Study study.

September 10, 2025Open Access

Chemical profiling and biological assessment of essential oil from Artemisia herba-alba

OBOdey BsharatKing Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals YSYousef SalamaAn-Najah National University NANisreen Al-HajjAn-Najah National University

Key Points

The essential oil from Artemisia herba alba exhibited significant antioxidant activity with an IC50 of 22.17 µg/mL against DPPH.
It showed notable anticancer properties with IC50 values of 12.39 and 13.60 µg/mL against B16F10 and MCF-7 cell lines, respectively.
GC-MS analysis identified key components, including 1,8-cineole (28.67%) and trans-thujone (24.00%), contributing to the bioactivity.
A combinatory approach with Taxol enhanced anticancer effects, indicating a promising synergistic relationship for future therapies.

Abstract

Recently, essential oils (EOs) have garnered attention for their biological properties as a source of natural compounds with anticancer and antioxidant effects. Artemisia herba alba grows commonly on the dry steppes of the Mediterranean regions in Northern Africa, Western Asia, and Southwestern Europe. This species is native to Palestine and the western region of Jordan, known as Sheeh. It is employed by the Bedouins for the remedy of many diseases. Recently, essential oils (EOs) have been booming with a growing interest in their use as palliative treatments to conventional medicine due to their biological qualities. The objective of this study is to identify the chemical composition of EO extracted from the dry leaves of A. herba alba and to evaluate their in vitro antioxidant, anticancer, and α-amylase and lipase inhibitory activity. The EO was extracted via hydrodistillation and examined using gas chromatography-mass (GC-MS) spectrometry to determine its chemical composition. The primary components included 1,8-cineole (28.67%), followed by trans-thujone (24.00%), cis-thujone (17.69%), camphor (12.76%), and concluding with terpinen-4-ol (8.34%). Biologically, the EO performed high antioxidant activity against 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrzyl (DPPH) with 22.17 ± 1.11 µg/mL and modest lipase and α-amylase activity. The EO displayed significant anticancer properties against B16F10 and MCF-7 with IC50 values of 12.39 and 13.60 µg/mL, respectively. A 1:1 combination of Artemisia herba alba and Teucrium polium EOs improved the anticancer activities against B16F10 and MCF-7 cell lines, with IC50 values of 6.184 and 9.427, respectively. Adding 25–50 µg/mL to Taxol (10 ng) caused a remarkable increase in the inhibition of cancer cells. This enhancement in cancer cell inhibition suggests a potential synergistic effect between the essential oil and Taxol, warranting further investigation into their combinatory use in therapeutic applications. Future studies may explore the underlying mechanisms of this synergy to optimize treatment strategies for cancer patients.

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