In vitro evaluation of antimicrobial and anticancer potential of Artemisia absinthium growing in Kashmir Himalayas

Herbal medicines are an important and growing part of International pharmacopeia. Research and testing enhance our understanding of their medical properties, making them a safer alternative or preferable option to allopathic medication. Plant-derived pharmaceuticals are gaining popularity due to the belief that "green medicine" is safer and more trustworthy than expensive synthetic drugs. This study aimed to evaluate the antimicrobial and anticancer potential of the methanolic leaf extract of Artemisia absinthium against human lung cancer A549 cell line by well diffusion method and MTT assay, respectively. The A. absinthium leaf extract showed the highest activity against Enterococcus faecalis (20 ± 0.7 mm), and Escherichia coli (18 ± 0.8 mm), followed by Pseudomonas aeruginosa (16 ± 0.6 mm), Candida albicans (14 ± 0.9 mm) and Staphylococcus aureus (13 ± 0.8 mm), with MIC values 128, 128, 128, 256 and 256 µg/mL respectively. The methanolic extract of A. absinthium showed significant (p ≤ 0.05) cytotoxicity against the A549 cancer cell line with an IC50 value of 36.8 µg/mL. The present study's findings give strong evidence for using the methanolic leaf extract of A. absinthium as an effective ethnomedicinal agent and a possible candidate for treating various human diseases and a potent bioactive agent in anticancer medications