One of the Ethiopian endemic plants used traditionally as medicine for different diseases is Rumex abyssinicus. It is widely known as ‘Meqmeqo’ in Amharic. The aim of this study was to isolate and characterize compounds from the root of R. abyssinicus and to test their bioactivities of solvent fractions of the extract. The crude extract was extracted from dried powdered root of the plant with methanol. Then it was fractionated with n‑hexane and ethyl acetate with increasing polarity. The yellow powder obtained from ethyl acetate fractionation was applied to column chromatographic separation that led to the isolation of two compounds, diisobutyl phthalate and emodine. Finally, antibacterial evaluation of the ethyl acetate and methanol soluble portions were carried out against four pathogenic bacteria. Both methanol and ethyl acetate soluble portions inhibited all selected bacterial in better at high concentrations.

Plants are among the most important common sources of potentially valuable new drugs. Therefore, to investigate biological activity of medicinal plants are used to develop new drugs. Artemisia absinthium L. is an aromatic plant of the family Asteraceae, and is known by the common names wormwood and absinthe. The study of this research was aimed to chemical investigation, essential oil analysis and antibacterial activity of A. absinthium. The plant was collected in different local area of north Wollo, Woldiya. Maceration technique was used for extraction. Isolation of essential oil was done using Cleavinger apparatus. Column chromatography was used to isolate major compounds. In this present study, the major plant secondary metabolites present in A. absinthium was screened, the major constituents the plant was investigated and antibacterial activity of the crude extracts was performed. The results of phytochemical screening showed the presence of alkaloid, flavonoid, carbohydrate, tannin, quinines, protein, phenol and terpenoids. The identified components account for 56% of the oil. The oil contains camphor as a major constituent and account for 41% of the oil. From column chromatography two compounds, chamazulene and davanone were isolated and identified on the bases of their 1H and 13C NMR spectra. Antimicrobial assay of the crude extracts of A. absinthium against gram negative (E. coli and K. pneumonia) and gram positive (L. monocytogen and S. aureus) pathogenic microorganisms showed that a significance activity. Different concentrations of methanol and chloroform were tested and maximum zone of inhibition was found at 200mg/ml in both extracted and zone of inhibition was decreased with decreasing concentrations.

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