Pharmacognostic evaluation of Artemisia maritima L. a highly medicinal specie of genus Artemisia

The light and scanning electron microscopic observations were carried out for anatomical features of leaf, pollens and powder.Microscopic studies provide useful information for identification and authentication of adulteration in A. maritima. Nutritional analysis of A. maritima revealed that life fundamental macromolecules such as carbohydrates (49.63 %) crude proteins (13.17 %) and crude fibers (21.06 %) were present in sufficient quantity while crude fats (4.11 %) reported in low quantity. The life essential elements such as Mg (9.472 ± 0.011), Ca (4.152 ± 0.135) and Fe (4.112 ± 0.002) were found in high concentration while heavy metals reported under the safety threshold of WHO. These observations favored A. maritima an alternative of food.Appreciable quantity of phenolics (17.64 ± 0.574) and flavonoids (7.67 ± 0.069) were found while qualitatively active phytochemicals were reported. The FTIR characterization of A. maritima crude powder revealed chromatogram in 3328.61 to 408.68 frequency range and 24 characteristic peaks on the basis of which different compounds of biological importance were classified. HPLC-UV technique quantifiedand identified six phenolic compounds morin,epigallocatechin gallate, catechin hydrate,ellagic acid, pyrogallol andrutin. Identification of compounds through GC–MS chromatogram revealed the presence of 46 compounds in methanolic fraction however 17 compounds of biological importance were selected. In-vitro biological evaluation of A. maritima for antioxidant, antimicrobial, antidiabetic (12.61 ± 0.113 %) and cytotoxic activities (LC(50) = 20 μg/ml) suggested that methanolic fractions exhibited the highest activity as compared to chloroform and ethyl acetate fractions. The MIC values of 10 or 15 mg/ml were recorded for most of the fungal pathogens. Antibacterial activity revealed 3.75 mg/ml of MIC values against B. subtilis and 1.87 mg/ml against S. aureus, E. coli and P. aeruginosa. In-vivo biological evaluation revealed thatmaximum inhibition was observed for crude extract at 250 mg/kg body weight. The mechanism underlined in-vivo analgesic responses was carried out which revealed that naloxone (morphine and tramadol antagonist) showed no prominent effect while Glibenclamide pretreatment minutely modified the analgesic action. These observations clearly indicted the absence of opiod receptors and involvement of ATP sensitive potassium channels.