Comparative Phytochemical Profiling and Antimicrobial Activity of the Essential Oil and Hexane Extract of Artemisia turanica from Uzbekistan

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.