Phenolic composition and antioxidant capacity of six artemisia species

The aim of this work was to establish the antioxidant capacities and the polyphenolic profile of six different Artemisia species that could potentially be used in the human diet. A high-performance liquid chromatographic method coupled with photodiode-array detector was used to identify and quantify individual phenolic compounds of the Artemisia leaves. A total of 18 polyphenolic compounds were identified and quantified in Artemisia leaves, including hydroxybenzoic acids (4), hydroxycinnamic acids (5), flavonols (3), and catechins (2). It was observed that total phenolic content of A. annua and A. stelleriana leaves were significantly lower than the other four species. Ferulic and caffeic conjugates acids were the most dominant hydroxycinnamic acid and gallic acid and catechin were the most dominant hydroxycinnamic acid and catechins respectively. According to DPPH assays, the antioxidant capacity of A. arborescens spp., A. ludoviciana spp., A. oleandica spp. and A. princepts spp., were found to be higher (reflecting a 2-fold difference) than that of the other two species. Compared with those of major commercial leafy vegetables, leaves of Artemisia contain a higher content of flavonoids and phenolic acids, which provide significant health benefits and may be used as natural colorants.