The aim of this study was to determine the chemical variability of wormwood extracts as affected by the growing region. Antioxidant and antimicrobial activities were also investigated. The essential oil composition variability ofA. absinthiumL. aerial parts collected from four different Tunisian regions was assessed by gas chromatography (GC/FID) and by gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC/MS). In addition, total polyphenols, flavonoids, and condensed tannins as well as antioxidant, antibacterial, and antifungal activities of methanolic extract and essential oils were undertaken. Chromatographic analysis of wormwood essential oils showed the predominance of monoterpene hydrocarbons represented mainly by chamazulene. RP-HPLC analysis of wormwood methanolic extract revealed the predominance of phenolic acids. Antiradical activity was region-dependant and the methanolic extract of Bou Salem region has the strongest activity (CI50=9.38±0.82 µg/mL). Concerning the reducing power, the methanolic extract of Bou Salem, Jérissa, and Boukornine regions was more active than the positive control. Obtained results of antimicrobial activities showed that wormwood essential oil is endowed with important antibacterial activity which was strongly related to the organoleptic quality of oil which appeared strongly region-dependant.A. absinthiumL. EOs investigated are quite interesting from a pharmaceutical standpoint because of their biological activities.

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This work was aimed to investigate the chemical composition of pennyroyal (Mentha pulegium L.) aerial parts and castor (Ricinus communis L.) stems essential oils from Tunisia. Fumigant and repellent toxicities were assessed toward two major stored product beetles: Lasioderma serricorne and Tribolium castaneum. Pennyroyal essential oil was characterized by a clear predominance of the oxygenated monoterpenes fraction (97.10%) instead of phenol fraction (61.47%) in the castor essential oil. The major common compounds of Mentha pulegium were pulegone and isomenthone, whereas 2,4-bis (dimethylbenzyl)-6-t-butylphenol was the main volatile compound of castor essential oil. Pennyroyal essential oil showed a strong antiradical capacity (IC 50 = 14 µg/mL) which is higher than synthetic standard. The effectiveness of pennyroyal essential oil against the coleopteran insects showed potential fumigant impact particularly against Lasioderma serricorne with LC 50 = 8.46 µL/L air. Moreover, significant pest repellent activity was demonstrated with Ricinus communis and Mentha pulegium where the repellency effects reached 80 and 60% after 1 and 24h of exposure against Tribolium castaneum at doses of 0.31 µL/cm 2 and 0.078 µL/cm 2 respectively. Hence, these findings underlined the potential insecticidal effect of castor and pennyroyal essential oils and highlighted their use as valuable food and insecticide products instead of synthetic pesticides.