## 3 Results and Discussion
### The Extraction Conditions  
Ethanol (EtOH) has been used for centuries and played a vital role in the production of medicines. Historically, galenic formulations were usually created by extracting plant materials with aqueous EtOH solutions. EtOH is currently considered to be more efficient when extracting phenol compounds and pigments [39]. [PERSON] and [PERSON] [40] demonstrated that using an EtOH solvent on _Tamarindus indica_ seeds provided better results than ACT in terms of extract yield, total polyphenols content, scavenging activity, reducing capacity, and antioxidant activity. [PERSON] et al. [41] investigated how different solvents and extraction protocols affect yield, total polyphenols content, and total flavonoids content and antioxidant activity for _S. scardica_. H\({}_{2}\)O, ACT, and EtOH-H\({}_{2}\)O (20%, 50%, and 70% EtOH) were used as solvents, with preparation methods including infusion, brewing, and maceration. EtOH70 performed the best in terms of total polyphenols content, followed by ACT and water infusion. The highest extraction yields were achieved with EtOH50 and EtOH70 maceration, followed by water infusion, with EtOH70 also providing the highest antioxidant potential. Furthermore, the study showed a positive correlation between total polyphenols content and antioxidant activity. [PERSON] et al. [42] showed that EtOH70 was the most efficient extractant for various classes of Sideritis phytochemicals, including antioxidants. [PERSON] et al. [43] also found that H\({}_{2}\)O-EtOH 20/80 performed the best in terms of polyphenol and flavonoid extraction. EtOH content in the solvents was inversely correlated with total extract yield, but positively correlated with levels of polyphenol compounds. [PERSON] et al. [44] noted that, as assayed by TEAC (Trolox Equivalent Antioxidant Capacity), EtOH-H\({}_{2}\)O in a ratio of 80:20 (\(v/v\)) was the best solvent for extracting antioxidants from all tested Lamiaceae MAPs. [PERSON] et al. [45] reported that the phenolic content of EtOH thyme leaf extract was markedly higher than that of an aqueous extract (20.31% and 13.44%, respectively). [PERSON] et al. [31] determined the phenolic profile of aqueous (AQ) and EtOH extracts of thyme. Total polyphenols content was 256.0 \(\upmu\)g GA/mg dry extract and 158.0 \(\upmu\)g GA/mg dry extract in AQ and EtOH extract of thyme, respectively. Total flavonoids content, however, was 44.2 \(\upmu\)g and 36.6 \(\upmu\)g QE/mg dry extract, respectively. Our study showed that EtOH-H\({}_{2}\)O ranked second (after MeOH) in terms of total phenolic acids content extracted from thyme (141.09 mg CA\(\cdot\)g EX), and second (again, after MeOH) as an SIEs solvent for antioxidant activity (DPPH) (85.75%). The EtOH-H\({}_{2}\)O extracts also exhibited the strongest average DPPH radical reduction activity (84.4%) (Table 2). This finding suggests that polar solvents such as ACT, MeOH, and EtOH-H\({}_{2}\)O are effective in extracting total polyphenols content, total flavonoids content and total phenolic acids content from thymi and sideritis herbs, which translates to high antioxidant activity in these extracts. EtOH and MeOH can extract polyphenols, flavonols, tannins, and terpenoids, while ACT is capable of extracting flavonoids, likely contributing to its high antioxidant activity [46]. Using polar solvents (MeOH) allows for more diverse secondary metabolites to be extracted from _Ageratum_ leaves compared to a non-polar solvent. The polar fraction of the leaves contained alkaloids, flavonoids, tannins, saponins, and terpenoids [47]. In our study, ACT and EtOAc--solvents with differing polarities--achieved the highest average total flavonoids content extraction performance across all extracts (Table 2). [PERSON] et al. [48] examined the chemical composition of _Carallumu_ root extracts using solvents of increasing polarity (hexane, chloroform, dichloromethane, EtOAc, ACT, EtOH, and MeOH). There were substantial differences in total polyphenol yields from the various solvents.