Etude ethnobotanique et pharmacologique des plantes médicinales et aromatiques utilisées dans la wilaya de Mila

Abstract

As part of the valorization of spontaneous medicinal plants, this study focused on Inula viscosa, a species widely distributed in the Mila region and traditionally used in folk medicine. The main objective was to evaluate its phytochemical composition and major biological activities—antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and antifungal—using aqueous (maceration, decoction) and organic (ethanol, chloroform, petroleum ether) extractions. Quantitative analysis showed that the chloroform extract contained the highest concentrations of polyphenols (65.96 ± 0.61 mg GAE/g) and flavonoids (106.53 ± 0.55 mg QE/g), followed by the petroleum ether extract. In contrast, aqueous extracts, though yielding more material (up to 38%), contained lower levels of bioactive compounds. The DPPH assay revealed strong antioxidant activity in the macerated extract (IC₅₀ = 1.675 mg/ml), nearly matching ascorbic acid (IC₅₀ = 1.557 mg/ml). The decoction exhibited the highest anti-inflammatory activity (IC₅₀ = 1.111 mg/ml), comparable to diclofenac (IC₅₀ = 2.35 mg/ml), while chloroform and petroleum ether extracts were less effective. Antibacterial evaluation showed no inhibition for aqueous extracts. In contrast, chloroform and petroleum ether extracts exhibited strong activity, particularly against Staphylococcus aureus (up to 26.14 mm) and Escherichia coli (up to 19.24 mm). Regarding antifungal activity, the aqueous extracts showed complete inhibition of Mildiou (100%) and strong effects against Oidium. Moderate activity was observed against Charbon and Rouille jaune. Indeed, Inula viscosa exhibits a rich phytochemical profile and promising bioactivities, supporting its traditional use and suggesting potential pharmacological applications.