Solvent-Dependent Variation in Extraction Yield and Antioxidant Activity of Artemisia herba-alba from Arris and Ain Yagout, Algeria

Abstract

Artemisia herba-alba is an important medicinal and aromatic plant whose bioactive properties may vary according to extraction conditions and geographical origin. This study investigated the effects of extraction solvent and sampling site on the extraction yield and antioxidant activity of A. herba-alba extracts collected from Arris and Ain Yagout. Aqueous, ethanolic, and methanolic extraction systems were evaluated. Because the assumptions required for parametric analyses were not satisfied, non-parametric statistical approaches were used to assess the effects of extraction solvent, sampling site, and their interaction. Significant effects of both extraction solvent and sampling site were observed for extraction yield and antioxidant activity, whereas their interaction was not significant. Methanolic extracts exhibited the highest extraction yield and antioxidant activity at both sampling sites, followed by ethanolic extracts, while aqueous extracts showed the lowest values. Heatmap visualization provided an integrated representation of the mean responses across solvent and sampling-site combinations. Furthermore, linear regression analyses revealed strong positive relationships between extraction yield and antioxidant activity within each extraction solvent and sampling site. Overall, the findings demonstrate that extraction solvent and geographical origin are important factors influencing the extraction performance and antioxidant potential of A. herba-alba. The consistent solvent-related patterns observed across both sampling locations indicate that the effect of extraction solvent was broadly maintained between sites. These results emphasize the importance of optimizing extraction conditions when evaluating the antioxidant properties of A. herba-alba.