Geographical Origin and Solvent Type Impact on Inula Viscosa (L.) Aiton Grown in El Menzel, Morocco – Insights into Bioactivity and Applications

Geographical origin and environmental factors have a significant impact on the constituents and the biological properties of medicinal and aromatic plants. Herein, we investigated the Inula viscosa plant grown in El Menzel - Morocco, with a focus on the impact of geographical pronvince and solvent type on the mass yield and the biological activities of plant extracts. Chemical composition was characterized by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS). Antimicrobial activity was determined using the disk diffusion method and the microdilution test against eight clinical fungal, Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacterial isolates. Chemical composition results showed that the plant has good nutritional quality in terms of protein, carbohydrates, lipids and dietary fibre. In fact, alkaloids and saponisides are the most predominant chemical compounds in Inula Vuscosa. Meanwhile, eighty volatile compounds were identified, representing 95% of the total essential oil content, the main component of which is tetra-pentacontane (11.26%). Furthermore, results showed high antioxidant activity, with efficacy increasing in the order: Essential Oil > Chloroform extract > Ethereal extract > Ethanolic extract. In addition, both chloroformic extract and essential oil demonstrated significant antibacterial activity against all strains tested. This study highlights the influence of geographical variations and extraction solvents on the bioactivity of Inula viscosa, offering insights into its potential applications in pharmacology and nutraceuticals