Comparative Phytochemical Profiling and Antimicrobial Activity of the Essential Oil and Hexane Extract of Artemisia turanica from Uzbekistan
Abstract
Artemisia turanica Krash. is one of the dominant essential oil-bearing species of the Kyzylkum Desert in Uzbekistan. Although the chemical composition of essential oils from several Iranian populations has previously been investigated, the phytochemical profile of A. turanica growing in Uzbekistan and other parts of Central Asia has remained unknown. The present study provides the first comprehensive characterization of the hydrophobic constituents of the Uzbek population of A. turanica. The chemical compositions of the essential oil (EO) and hexane extract (HE) obtained from the aerial parts were analyzed by GC–MS, and their antimicrobial and antifungal activities were evaluated using the agar disc diffusion method. A total of 82 compounds, including monoterpenoids, sesquiterpenoids (including biologically active sesquiterpene lactones), triterpenoids, hydrocarbons, and fatty acids with their esters, were tentatively identified. Among them, 69 compounds have not previously been reported in A. turanica. Comparative analysis with previously published data revealed substantial qualitative differences between the Uzbek and Iranian populations and suggests that the Uzbek population may represent a distinct 1,8-cineole–endo-borneol chemotype. Both samples produced inhibition zones against the tested microorganisms, whereas the EO exhibited markedly greater inhibitory activity than the HE. The strongest inhibitory effects were observed against Staphylococcus aureus (15.08 ± 0.12 mm) and Candida albicans (18.04 ± 0.10 mm). These findings expand current knowledge of the chemical diversity of A. turanica, provide the first phytochemical data for its Uzbek population, and indicate its potential as a source of biologically active hydrophobic constituents.
Keywords
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Details
Primary Language
English
Subjects
Natural Products and Bioactive Compounds
Journal Section
Research Article
Authors
Ildar Sham'yanov
0009-0000-9492-0892
Uzbekistan
Khayrulla Bobakulov
0000-0001-8924-4279
Uzbekistan
Rimma F. Mukhamatkhanova
0009-0004-2886-0798
Uzbekistan
Nurmirza Begmatov
This is me
0009-0001-7661-248X
Uzbekistan
Sobirdjan Sasmakov
*
0000-0003-1863-7117
Uzbekistan
Shakhnoz Azimova
0000-0003-1803-7728
Uzbekistan
Nasrulla Abdullaev
This is me
0000-0001-8421-4097
Uzbekistan
Publication Date
November 4, 2026
Submission Date
March 27, 2026
Acceptance Date
October 9, 2026
Published in Issue
Year 2026 Volume: 2026 Number: 2
