Phenolic and Flavonoid Composition of Artemisia judaica (L.) and Teucrium polium (L.) Methanolic Leaf Extracts: Bioactivity and Antitumor Insights.

Artemisia judaica and Teucrium polium as desert plants commonly grown in Saudi Arabia have been traditionally used for medicinal purposes in the Middle east region and all over the world. Phenolic compounds play a pivotal role in the biological activities of plant secondary metabolites. This study delves into the substantial total phenolic compounds and flavonoid contents of methanolic leaf extracts from the two wild species A. judaica and T. polium collected from the Al Jawf province, KSA. A methanolic extract was prepared from the dried leaf powders of both species and evaluated for their phenolic and flavonoids contents, DPPH radical scavenging activity, antitumor activity against HCT116 colon cell line, and their phenols and flavonoids were identified using HPLC technique. The results showed that the extracts exhibited moderate radical scavenging activities compared to ascorbic acid and showed strong anti-inflammatory activity at low concentrations. Moreover, the cytotoxicity evaluation against the HCT116 colon tumor cell line unveiled the robust anticancer properties of A. judaica extract, surpassing T. polium. Detailed HPLC analysis of the methanolic extract revealed the presence of key phenols and flavonoids in both extracts, with naringenin and gallic acid emerging as significant constituents in the two species, respectively. This study underscores the potential health benefits and antitumor efficacy of A. judaica and T. polium extracts.