Comparative Study of Phenolic Compounds and Antiradical Activities of Four Extracts of Tunisian Artemisia herba alba

emisia herba alba plant is widely used in folk medicine. Phenolic compounds present in this plant could be drug candidates characterized by important biological activities. In this study, phenolic compounds were extracted, identified and quantified in four extracts from the aerial part of A. herba alba plant collected from central Tunisia. All these extracts showed high content of total polyphenols, flavonoids and condensed tannins, mostly in the methanolic extract. Results of the identification of phenolic compounds by HPLC revealed significant differences between the extraction capacities of solvents used. The extracts were rich in phenolic acids with recording of myricitrin, which was registered at high value in methanolic extract. In addition, the antiradical properties of extracts and of some phenolic compounds were estimated by measuring the capacities of these extracts and compounds to trap the free radicals of 1,1-diphenyl-2 picrylhydrazyle (DPPH) as well as the reduction kinetics of DPPH free radical according to the concentrations of extract and time. In conclusion, Tunisian A. herba alba is recommended to be a medicinal plant due to its rich content of phenolic compounds and important antiradical potential, especially for the methanolic extract.