BIOACTIVITY-GUIDED PHYTOCHEMICAL INVESTIGATIONS OF ARTEMISIA MARITIMA: ISOLATION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF CHEMICAL CONSTITUENTS

Objective: In the present study, the extracts (petroleum ether and methanolic extract) of plant Artemisia maritima were subjected to bioactivity evaluation and compound isolation and characterization.Methods: Antioxidant activity was carried out using ferric reducing power and 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay. The anticancer activity was evaluated by MTT assay using three different human cancer cell lines: Embryonic kidney cancer cell (HEK), lung adenocarcinoma epithelial cell (A-549), and human colon cancer cell (HCT), and isolated compounds were characterized using nuclear magnetic resonance (1HNMR), 13CNMR, DEPT, infrared, and mass spectroscopic techniques.Results: The petroleum ether extract of the plant displayed significant antioxidant and cytotoxic effects, which on phytochemical analysis led to the isolation of two bioactive sesquiterpene lactone compounds. These phytochemicals were identified using different spectral techniques in the light of literature. All the compounds displayed significant cytotoxic activity; however, compound-1 exhibited potent anticancer activity with inhibitory concentration value of 17.3 μg/mL. The isolated compounds also displayed significant antioxidant potential.Conclusion: Artemisia maritima, a rich source of sesquiterpene lactone which may be responsible for significant anticancer potential and it also possess remarkable antioxidant activity and hence may be of immense importance to food Chemistry