| Physicochemical, structural and antioxidant properties of polysaccharides isolated from Artemisia campestris leaves |
| Paper ID : 1220-IGA |
| Authors |
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Salma Moalla *1, Imène Ammar1, Christophe BLECKER2, Souhail BESBES1, Hamadi ATTIA3 1Laboratory of Analysis, Valorization and Food Safety, National School of Engineers of Sfax 2Laboratory of Food Science and Formulation, Faculty of Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech, University of Liège 3Laboratory of Analysis, Valorization and Food Safety, National School of Engineers of Sfax |
| Abstract |
| Background and aim: Plant polysaccharides are gaining interest due to their safety and biological properties, including antioxidant, antimicrobial and anticoagulant activities, which make them valuable in food and pharmaceutical industries. Artemisia campestris is an aromatic herb traditionally used as a remedy for various diseases. While its medicinal benefits are attributed to essential oils and polyphenolic extracts, the potential of its polysaccharides as bioactive compounds remains underexplored. This study aimed to isolate and characterize polysaccharides (ACWSP) from A. campestris and to investigate their potential antioxidant properties. Materials and methods: ACWSP were extracted from A. campestris leaves using hot water extraction followed by ethanol precipitation. The polysaccharides were characterized for their chemical composition and monosaccharide profile. Structural features were assessed using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Antioxidant activity was assessed using DPPH and β-carotene bleaching assays. Results: The monosaccharide composition of ACWSP revealed a predominance of uronic acids. The high content of uronic acids, along with the presence of galactose and rhamnose, suggests the pectic nature of ACWSP. FTIR and NMR spectra showed characteristic peaks confirming the pectic structure. SEM micrographs revealed a compact, rough and pore-free surface, which is desirable for applications requiring high stability and uniformity. XRD analysis revealed a predominantly amorphous structure, as evidenced by the broad diffraction halo around 20–25°. This amorphous nature is typical of pectic polysaccharides, which generally exhibit a disordered arrangement due to their complex and flexible macromolecular structure. ACWSP demonstrated notable antioxidant activity, with dose-dependent effects observed in both the DPPH assay (EC50 = 1.4 mg/ml) and the β-carotene bleaching assay (EC50 = 1.7 mg/ml). Conclusion: ACWSP represent a promising source of natural antioxidants, supporting their application in the development of functional food ingredients and health-promoting formulations. |
| Keywords |
| antioxidant properties, structural properties, Artemisia campestris, polysaccharide |
| Status: Accepted |
