Morphological and Chemical Diversity of Artemisia Herba Alba in Jabal Al-Akhdar of Libya
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.65419/albahit.v4i2.87Keywords:
wormwood, morphological characters, conservation, medical plantsAbstract
This study investigated the morphological and phytochemical variability of Artemisia herba-alba across three ecologically distinct populations in Jabal Al-Akhdar, Libya. The results demonstrated marked population-level differences primarily driven by elevation, grazing intensity, and localized environmental conditions.Plants collected from Ras El-Hilal exhibited the strongest vegetative performance, recording the highest shoot perimeter (94.5 cm) and the greatest total, fresh, and dry biomass. Conversely, the El-Maslaqoun site, characterized by severe overgrazing, displayed a substantial reduction in growth parameters, with the shoot perimeter decreasing significantly to 16.3 cm and the total plant weight declining sharply from 143.7 g (Ras El-Hilal) to 35.1 g. Consistent trends were observed for root length, shoot length, and overall plant height, with the Ras El-Hilal and El-Mashel populations consistently showing superior performance compared to El-Maslaqoun.The phytochemical composition also varied significantly across the populations. Total phenolic content ranged from 115.5 to 124.8 mg gallic acid equivalents per gram dry matter, while total flavonoid content spanned 78.1 to 94.8 mg catechin equivalents per gram. Notably, the highest levels of both phenolics and flavonoids were recorded in the El-Maslaqoun population, despite its diminished vegetative growth. This finding suggests that environmental stress may effectively stimulate the accumulation of these secondary metabolites. Furthermore, a moderate positive correlation (R2 = 0.4669) was observed between total phenols and total flavonoids, indicating a coordinated biochemical response to ecological pressures.These findings highlight the substantial ecological plasticity of A. herba-alba and clearly demonstrate the influence of environmental gradients on both morphological traits and phytochemical richness. These insights are crucial for developing effective conservation strategies and optimizing the sustainable utilization of this medicinally important species.
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