Chemical Composition and Antioxidant and Antibacterial Potencies of the Artemisia ordosica Aerial Parts Essential Oil during the Vegetative Period

As one of the vital shrubs growing in crusted areas in China, Artemisia ordosica (belonging to the Asteraceae family) is abundant in essential oil, and its aerial part’s essential oil has been reported to have some biological activities during the flowering and fruit set stage, and has been used in folk medicine. However, little is known about the biological activities of its aerial part’s essential oil during the vegetative period. Thus, the purpose of this work was to determine the chemical composition and evaluate the antioxidant and antibacterial potencies of the essential oil extracted from A. ordosica aerial parts during the vegetative stage. Gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC-MS) revealed that spathulenol (9.93%) and α-curcumene (9.24%), both sesquiterpenes, were the most abundant of the 74 chemical constituents detected in the essential oil of A. ordosica. The antioxidant activity of the essential oil was found to be relatively moderate against 2,2-diphenylhydrazyl (DPPH), 2,2′-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS), and hydroxyl radical (OH^●) radicals. The essential oil exhibited strong antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella abony and Escherichia coli, with minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of 2.5, 5, and 10 μL/mL, respectively. The results indicate that the essential oil of A. ordosica possesses notable antibacterial properties as well as antioxidant capability and can thus be employed as a natural ingredient which can be used as a substitute for antibiotics in the animal feed industry. However, in vivo toxicological studies are still required to determine the safety level and beneficial outcomes of the A. ordosica essential oil for future utilization.