Antibacterial, antioxidant and antiproliferation activities of essential oils and ethanolic extracts from Chinese mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris L.) leaf in Shanxi.

Background: Artemisia vulgaris, a medicinal aromatic plant, is widely used as a food item, tonic pharmaceutical, and cosmetic industry additive owing to its antibacterial, antihypertensive, hepatoprotective, antioxidant, and antispasmodic properties. But the effect of different geographic locations on the chemical composition and bioactivities of its extracts is unclear. Methods: Biological activities of essential oils and ethanol extracts of three varieties of Artemisia vulgaris leaves, which are grown in Shanxi province China, were studied. Results: Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis revealed that the main components of essential oils were terpenes and ketones. Essential oils and ethanol extract of Artemisia vulgaris leaves possessed good antioxidant activities, and their half maximal inhibitory concentrations determined using 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl and 2,2'-azinobis-(3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulphonate) assays were 57.0 and 22.9 µg/mL, respectively. The essential oils also exhibited remarkable antibacterial activity against three foodborne pathogenic bacterial strains. The ethanol extract presented a high anticancer activity against the MGC-803 human gastric cancer cell line. Conclusion: These biological activities were well correlated with the composition of the extract and EOs, which in turn is affected by the genetic composition of Artemisia vulgaris and geographic location and diverse climatic condition under which it is grown. These findings demonstrate the remarkable potential of Artemisia vulgaris as a valuable source of antioxidant, antibacterial, and anticancer agents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]