The artemisia L. Genus: a review of bioactive essential oils

In Vitro Antibacterial Activity of Selected Palestinian Medicinal Plants against Chlamydia trachomatis

Chlamydia spp. are intracellular pathogens of humans and animals that cause a wide range of diseases such as blinding trachoma and sexually transmitted infections. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), there are more than 127 million new infections each year worldwide. Chlamydial urogenital infections can cause cervicitis, urethritis, pelvic inflammatory disease and infertility. From within an intracellular niche, termed an inclusion, the Chlamydiae complete their life cycle shielded from host defenses. The host cell defense response used to eliminate the pathogen must subvert this protective shield and is thought to involve the gamma interferon-inducible family of immunity related GTPase proteins and nitric oxide. Typically, azithromycin and doxycycline are the first line drugs for the treatment of chlamydial infections. Although C. trachomatis is sensitive to these antibiotics in vitro, currently, there is increasing bacterial resistance to antibiotics including multidrug-resistant C. trachomatis, which have been described in many instances. Therefore, alternative drug candidates against Chlamydia should be assessed in vitro. In this study, we tested and quantified the activity of plant extracts against Chlamydia-infected HeLa cells with C. trachomatis inclusions. The in vitro results show that post-treatment with Artemisia inculta Delile extract significantly inhibits Chlamydia infection compared to DMSO-treated samples. In conclusion, plant extracts may contain active ingredients with antichlamydial activity potential and can be used as alternative drug candidates for treatment of Chlamydia infection which has significant socio-economic and medical impact.

Antiviral Potential of Plants against Noroviruses

Human noroviruses, which belong to the enterovirus family, are one of the most common etiological agents of food-borne diseases. In recent years, intensive research has been carried out regarding the antiviral activity of plant metabolites that could be used for the preservation of fresh food, because they are safer for consumption when compared to synthetic chemicals. Plant preparations with proven antimicrobial activity differ in their chemical compositions, which significantly affects their biological activity. Our review aimed to present the results of research related to the characteristics, applicability, and mechanisms of the action of various plant-based preparations and metabolites against norovirus. New strategies to combat intestinal viruses are necessary, not only to ensure food safety and reduce infections in humans but also to lower the direct health costs associated with them.

Full-Length Transcriptome Analysis Reveals Candidate Genes Involved in Terpenoid Biosynthesis in Artemisia argyi

Artemisia argyi is an important medicinal plant widely utilized for moxibustion heat therapy in China. The terpenoid biosynthesis process in A. argyi is speculated to play a key role in conferring its medicinal value. However, the molecular mechanism underlying terpenoid biosynthesis remains unclear, in part because the reference genome of A. argyi is unavailable. Moreover, the full-length transcriptome of A. argyi has not yet been sequenced. Therefore, in this study, de novo transcriptome sequencing of A. argyi's root, stem, and leaf tissues was performed to obtain those candidate genes related to terpenoid biosynthesis, by combining the PacBio single-molecule real-time (SMRT) and Illumina sequencing NGS platforms. And more than 55.4 Gb of sequencing data and 108,846 full-length reads (non-chimeric) were generated by the Illumina and PacBio platform, respectively. Then, 53,043 consensus isoforms were clustered and used to represent 36,820 non-redundant transcripts, of which 34,839 (94.62%) were annotated in public databases. In the comparison sets of leaves vs roots, and leaves vs stems, 13,850 (7,566 up-regulated, 6,284 down-regulated) and 9,502 (5,284 up-regulated, 4,218 down-regulated) differentially expressed transcripts (DETs) were obtained, respectively. Specifically, the expression profile and KEGG functional enrichment analysis of these DETs indicated that they were significantly enriched in the biosynthesis of amino acids, carotenoids, diterpenoids and flavonoids, as well as the metabolism processes of glycine, serine and threonine. Moreover, multiple genes encoding significant enzymes or transcription factors related to diterpenoid biosynthesis were highly expressed in the A. argyi leaves. Additionally, several transcription factor families, such as RLK-Pelle_LRR-L-1 and RLK-Pelle_DLSV, were also identified. In conclusion, this study offers a valuable resource for transcriptome information, and provides a functional genomic foundation for further research on molecular mechanisms underlying the medicinal use of A. argyi leaves.

Anti-Inflammatory Activity of Artemisia vulgaris Leaves, Originating from Three Different Altitudes of Nepal

This study aimed to evaluate and compare the in vivo chronic anti-inflammatory efficacy, from the ethyl acetate and ethanolic extracts of Artemisia vulgaris leaves, grown at three different altitudes in Nepal, by formalin-induced paw edema in Swiss albino mice. Edema was induced on the mice paw by administering 0.2% of formalin injection. Indomethacin was used as a standard drug at the concentration of 5 mg/kg of body weight. Ethyl acetate and ethanolic leaves extract, at the concentration of 200 mg/kg and 400 mg/kg, were used as test drugs. Standard drug and all the extracts were administered 30 min before formalin injection. The paw thickness was measured at 0, 1, 2, 3, 24, 48, and 72 hours after formalin injection, using a Vernier caliper. It was observed that both ethyl acetate and ethanolic extract from all the altitudes exhibited significant inhibition of paw edema (p < 0.05) induced by formalin. Maximum activity was shown by 400 mg/kg of the plant leaf extract taken from the temperate zone, with 54.05% of paw edema inhibition, and it is almost similar to the inhibition of standard drug (56.75%). Moreover, the ethanolic extract was found to be more effective than ethyl acetate extract in all the plant samples. The results suggested that the anti-inflammatory effect of A. vulgaris leaves increases with an increase in altitudes and this plant can be used as a useful source of medicine to treat chronic inflammation.

5-Desmethylsinensetin isolated from Artemisia princeps suppresses the stemness of breast cancer cells via Stat3/IL-6 and Stat3/YAP1 signaling

AIMS

To study 5-desmethylsinensetin exhibiting potential anticancer activity against breast cancer stem cells and the related molecular mechanism.

MAIN METHODS

In this study, isolation of a cancer stem cell (CSC) inhibitor of Artemisia princeps was performed using a silica gel column, a Sephadex gel column, and high-performance liquid chromatography. A single compound was purified via activity-based isolation using mammosphere formation assays. An MTS was used to examine the proliferation of breast cancer cells, and flow cytometry was used to analyze apoptosis and cancer stem cell markers. Western blotting was used to detect the signaling pathway.

RESULTS

The isolated compound was identified as 5-desmethylsinensetin using nuclear magnetic resonance and mass spectrometry. 5-Desmethylsinensetin suppresses the proliferation and mammosphere formation of breast cancer cells, reduces the subpopulations of CD44⁺/CD24^- and ALDH1⁺ cancer cells, and reduces the transcription of the stemness markers Oct4, c-Myc, Nanog and CD44 in Breast CSCs. 5-Desmethylsinensetin inhibits the total and nuclear expression of Stat3 and p-Stat3, as well as the translocation of YAP1. Additionally, 5-desmethylsinensetin reduces the mRNA and protein levels of IL-6.

CONCLUSION

Our results show that 5-desmethylsinensetin exhibits potential anticancer activity against breast cancer stem cells via Stat3-IL-6 and Stat3-YAP1 signaling.

Anti-Inflammatory Effects of Heat-Processed Artemisia capillaris Thunberg by Regulating IκBα/NF-κB Complex and 15-PGDH in Mouse Macrophage Cells

Growing evidence suggests that dietary nutrients in herbs and plants are beneficial in improving inflammatory disorders. Artemisia capillaris Thunberg (AC) is a traditional herbal medicine widely used in East Asia to treat pain, hepatotoxicity, and inflammatory disorders. Heat processing is a unique pharmaceutical method used in traditional herbal medicine to enhance the pharmacological effects and safety of medicinal plants. This study demonstrates the anti-inflammatory effects of heat-processed AC (HPAC) in lipopolysaccharide- (LPS-) treated mouse macrophage cells. HPAC reduced LPS-induced inflammatory mediators such as IL-6, IL-1β, TNF-α, NO, and PGE2 in RAW 264.7 cells. Interestingly, 15-PGDH appears to play a pivotal role rather than COX-2 and mPGES-1 when HPAC regulated PGE2 levels. Meanwhile, HPAC showed anti-inflammatory effects by blocking IκBα phosphorylation and NF-κB nuclear translocalization. Also, we found that HO-1 upregulation was mediated by the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathways in HPAC-treated RAW 264.7 cells. And, in RAW 264.7 cells challenged with LPS, HPAC restored HO-1 expression, leading to NF-κB inhibition. Through further experiments using specific MAPK inhibitors, we found that, in response to LPS, the phosphorylated IκBα and activated NF-κB were attenuated by p38 MAPK/HO-1 pathway. Therefore, HPAC targeting both the IκBα/NF-κB complex and 15-PGDH may be considered as a potential novel anti-inflammatory agent derived from a natural source.

Evaluation and Comparison of Bioactive Constituents of Artemisiae argyi Folium Collected at Different Developmental Stages

BACKGROUND

Artemisiae argyi Folium (AF) has been used as herbal medicine and a food supplement in China and other Asian countries. There is no report about whether the different developmental stages can influence the bioactive compositions of AF.

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the dynamic changes of bioactive constituents of AF collected at different developmental stages.

METHOD

The volatile and nonvolatile bioactive components in AF collected at six different developmental stages were analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and (GC-MS) high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Chemometrics analysis, including principal component analysis (PCA) and partial least squares discrimination analysis (PLS-DA), were further performed to compare and discriminate the AF samples based on the analysis results.

RESULTS

The results indicated the bioactive compositions in AF underwent obvious changes during the period of growth. The volatile compositions of AF collected at different stages were the same, while their relative contents were different. Six volatile compounds could be regarded as chemical markers, which were responsible for the intergroup differences. The phenolic profiles of AF at different stages indicated a similar composition when the content levels of the main phenolic compounds were variated.

CONCLUSIONS

The comparative results will facilitate better understanding of dynamic changes of bioactive constituents of AF samples collected at different stages and will provide useful information for cultivation and utilization of this herbal medicine.

HIGHLIGHTS

The volatile and nonvolatile bioactive components in AF collected at different developmental stages were evaluated and compared for the first time.

Secondary Metabolites from Artemisia Genus as Biopesticides and Innovative Nano-Based Application Strategies

The Artemisia genus includes a large number of species with worldwide distribution and diverse chemical composition. The secondary metabolites of Artemisia species have numerous applications in the health, cosmetics, and food sectors. Moreover, many compounds of this genus are known for their antimicrobial, insecticidal, parasiticidal, and phytotoxic properties, which recommend them as possible biological control agents against plant pests. This paper aims to evaluate the latest available information related to the pesticidal properties of Artemisia compounds and extracts and their potential use in crop protection. Another aspect discussed in this review is the use of nanotechnology as a valuable trend for obtaining pesticides. Nanoparticles, nanoemulsions, and nanocapsules represent a more efficient method of biopesticide delivery with increased stability and potency, reduced toxicity, and extended duration of action. Given the negative impact of synthetic pesticides on human health and on the environment, Artemisia-derived biopesticides and their nanoformulations emerge as promising ecofriendly alternatives to pest management.

Screening of Anti-Lipase Components of Artemisia argyi Leaves Based on Spectrum-Effect Relationships and HPLC-MS/MS

Pancreatic lipase is a key lipase for triacylglyceride digestion and absorption, which is recognized as a promising target for treatment of metabolic disorders. Natural phytochemicals are hopeful sources for pancreatic lipase inhibitors. The leaves of Artemisia argyi H.Lév. and Vaniot (AL) is commonly used as herbal medicine or food supplement in China and other Asian countries for hundreds of years. AL mainly contains essential oils, phenolic acids, flavonoids and terpenoids, which exhibit many pharmacological activities such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, analgetic, anti-cancer, anti-diabetes and immunomodulatory effects. However, the anti-lipase activity of AL was lack of study and the investigation of anti-lipase ingredients from AL was also insufficient. In the present study, the anti-lipase activity of AL was evaluated in vitro and the potentially pancreatic lipase inhibitors of AL were investigated. High performance liquid chromatography was used to establish fingerprints of AL samples, and fifteen peaks were selected. The anti-lipase activities of AL samples were evaluated by a pancreatic lipase inhibition assay. Then, the spectrum-effect relationships between fingerprints and pancreatic lipase inhibitory activities were investigated to identify the anti-lipase constitutes in AL. As the results, four caffeoylquinic acids, which were identified as neochlorogenic acid, chlorogenic acid, isochlorogenic acid B, and isochlorogenic acid A by high performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry, were selected as potential pancreatic lipase inhibitors in AL. Moreover, anti-lipase activity assessment and molecular docking study of the four compounds were performed to validate the potential lipase inhibitors in AL. The results revealed that the four caffeoylquinic acids in AL as bioactive compounds displayed with anti-lipase activity. The present research provided evidences for the anti-lipase activity of AL, and suggested that some bioactive compounds in AL could be used as lead compounds for discovering of new pancreatic lipase inhibitors.

Artemisia abrotanum L. (Southern Wormwood)-History, Current Knowledge on the Chemistry, Biological Activity, Traditional Use and Possible New Pharmaceutical and Cosmetological Applications

Artemisia abrotanum L. (southern wormwood) is a plant species with an important position in the history of European and Asian medicine. It is a species famous as a medicinal plant in Central Asia, Asia Minor, and in South-East and Central Europe. The raw materials obtained from this species are Abrotani herba and Abrotani folium. In the traditional European medicine, they have been used successfully most of all in liver and biliary tract diseases, in parasitic diseases in children and as antipyretic medication. In the official European medicine, this plant species is recommended by the French Pharmacopoeia for use in homeopathy. In many European countries, it is used traditionally in allopathy. The latest studies on the biological activity of extracts from the aboveground parts of the plant and/or the leaves, and/or the essential oil have provided evidence of other possible applications related to their antibacterial, antifungal, antioxidant, anticancer, and antiallergic properties. The latest studies have also focused on the repellent activity of the essential oil of this species and the possibility to use it in the prevention of diseases in which insects are the vectors. The main substances obtained from the plant that are responsible for this activity are: the essential oil, coumarins, phenolic acids, and flavonoids. Some of the latest investigations emphasize the large differences in the composition of the essential oil, determined by the geographical (climatic) origin of the plant. A. abrotanum is recommended by the European Cosmetic Ingredients Database (CosIng) as a source of valuable cosmetic ingredients. Additionally, the leaves of this species possess a well-established position in the food industry. This plant species is also the object of biotechnological studies.

Biomedical Implications of Plant-Based Principles as Antidepressants: Prospects for Novel Drug Development

BACKGROUND

Depression is a most common mental disorder. The symptoms of depression include loss of energy, changes in appetite, more or less sleep, anxiety, low concentration, uncertainty, restlessness, feelings of worthlessness, guilt, or despair, and thoughts of self-harm or suicide. In order to provide safe, efficient and cost-effective medication, the plants based principles in isolation or in combination with traditional antidepressants are attracting increasing attention for depression therapy.

METHOD

The information regarding the present review and its contents such as collected from published literature materials in different international journals. We have used different search engines such as PubMed, Medline, ResearchGate Google Semantic Scholar and ScienceDirect. For this purpose, the data obtained were properly organized and suitably analyzed to include in this article.

RESULTS

Most of the phytomolecules isolated from the medicinal plants display antidepressant effect through the synaptic regulation of levels of neurotransmitters such as dopamine, serotonin, and noradrenaline in different parts of the brain. The mechanism of action of phytomolecules also involves negative regulation of the activities of monoamine oxidase (MAO) and acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and prevention of hyperactivity of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. In addition, the strong antioxidative and antiinflamatory potential of these phytochemicals offer synergy to their antidepressant as well as antipsychosomatic functions.

CONCLUSION

The application of phytochemicals has proved it to be a safe, cost effective and efficient therapeutic agent to treat the patients suffering from mild to severe state of depression and other psychiatric disorders. The potential phytochemicals may be further optimized using in silico tools to develop better antidepressants and antisychotic agents in future.

Artemisia dracunculus L. essential oil phytochemical components trigger the activity of cellular antioxidant enzymes

Investigation of dietary biologically active phytochemicals is of interest due to the availability, low cost, and low rate of side effects of these substances. The main objective of this work was to investigate the influence of the essential oil (EO) extracted from the aerial parts of Artemisia dracunculus on the antioxidant capacity of cells as this plant is one of the most available and widely used as spice and in folk medicine. For this, BV-2 microglial wild type (WT) and acyl-CoA oxidase type 1 (ACOX1) deficient cells (Acox1^-/- ) were used. Acox1^-/- cells were applied as the model of cellular oxidative damage. The main component of EO of A. dracunculus was estragole, which was reaching 84.9% in plants cultivated at high altitude Armenian landscape. IC₅₀ value of EO in 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl assay was 94.2 µg/ml. Sub-cytotoxic concentration in the 3-(4, 5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide test for both BV-2 WT and Acox1^-/- cell lines was 5.10^-1  µg/ml. Seventy-two-hours treatment with EO leads to the increased viability (up to 12% in WT and up to 14% -in BV-2 Acox1^-/- cells). The 48-hr treatment increased the ACOX1 activity up to 70% in WT cells. Catalase and superoxide dismutase activities of both cell lines increased following the 24-48-hr treatment. These results indicate that A. dracunculus EO can be considered as a potential protective agent useful in preventive medicine.

Study of Thermal Behavior of Moxa Floss Using Thermogravimetric and Pyrolysis-GC/MS Analyses

Moxa floss is a type of biomass used as the main combustion material in moxibustion, a therapy that applies heat from moxa floss combustion to points or body areas for treatment. Safety concerns regarding moxa smoke have been raised in recent years. Since moxa floss is the source material in moxibustion, its thermal behavior and pyrolysis products would be related to the products formed in moxa smoke. This work aims to understand the thermal behavior of moxa floss and investigate the pyrolysis products generated from moxa floss combustion. Six commercial moxa floss samples of 3 storage years and 10 storage years, and of low, medium, and high ratios, were selected. The kinetic data from moxa floss combustion was carried out by a thermogravimetric analyzer. Pyrolysis-gas chromatography and mass spectroscopy using a gas chromatograph and mass spectrometer equipped with a pyroprobe were used to examine the pyrolysis products. Thermogravimetric profiles for all the samples were overall similar and showed a monotonic weight decrease. The range of intensive reaction temperature occurred between 150°C and 450°C, which was characterized by a major weight loss and accompanied by an exothermal degradation of the main components. The average ignition temperature for the samples of 3 and 10 storage years was 218.3°C and 222.6°C, respectively, which was lower than most herbaceous plants. The identified pyrolysis products include monocyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, ketones, acids, and alkanes. All were of relatively low intensities of below 5% in relative abundance. No volatiles were detected in the samples of 10 storage years. The relatively low values of ignition temperature suggested that moxa floss is more combustible and can be ignited more easily than other herbaceous plants. This may explain why moxa floss has remained as the preferred material used for moxibustion over the years.

Identification and Antibacterial Characterization of Endophytic Fungi from Artemisia sieberi

Endophytic fungi serve as a reservoir for important secondary metabolites. The current study focused on the antibacterial properties of endophytic fungi isolated from Artemisia sieberi. Initially, six endophytic fungi were isolated and purified from the stem of A. sieberi. Endophytic fungi were identified by morphological characteristics, as well as by molecular identification using 18S rRNA gene sequencing method. All the six isolates were subjected to the preliminary screening for their antibacterial activity against nine important pathogenic bacteria using the disk-diffusion method. Crude extracts of the most active isolate were obtained using ethyl acetate. Antibacterial activity of the ethyl acetate extract was evaluated using well diffusion method on the selected isolate. The antibacterial efficiency of the selected isolate was evaluated by determining the Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC). MIC values were in appreciable quantity against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria ranging from 3.125 to 6.25 µg/mL and 12.5 to 50 µg/mL, respectively. This result indicated that Gram-positive bacteria were more susceptible to the endophytic fungi extract. Moreover, the molecular identification results revealed that all the isolates belong to Ascomycota and represented Aspergillus and Penicillium genera and three species: A. oryzae (three isolates), A. niger (one isolate), and P. chrysogenum (two isolates). All six endophytic fungi were able to inhibit the growth of at least two of the tested bacteria. Among the isolated strains, isolate AS2, which identified as P. chrysogenum, exhibited the highest antibacterial activity against all nine tested bacteria and was higher than or equal to the positive control against most of the tested bacteria. Future studies are required to isolate and identify these bioactive substances, which can be considered as a potential source for the synthesis of new antibacterial drugs to treat infectious diseases.

Structural and Chemical Adaptations of Artemisia monosperma Delile and Limbarda crithmoides (L.) Dumort. in Response to Arid Coastal Environments along the Mediterranean Coast of Egypt

Arid coastal habitats are stressful regions subjected to the effects of biotic and abiotic factors. Vascular plants in these habitats display different responses to cope with these environmental fluctuations. This work addressed the morpho-anatomical features and chemical responses of two medicinal vascular plant species Artemisia monosperma Delile and Limbarda crithmoides (L.) Dumort., growing naturally along the Mediterranean coast of Egypt. Soil properties (physical and chemical), morpho-anatomical features and chemical constituents (secondary metabolites, antioxidant activity and essential oils) for the two species were performed. Our results displayed that both species are surviving where soils are alkaline, high saline with low moisture and organic carbon. The morphology of both species appeared woody low shrub with fleshy leaves. The most marked anatomical attributes were the thick cuticle of the epidermal layer in leaves and stems, compact palisade cells and abundant idioblasts (secretory ducts, phenolic compounds and calcium oxalate). Also, sclerenchymatous pericycle fibers in stem and glandular trichomes on the leaf had appeared in A. monosperma. Both plants exhibited a considerable content of phenolics, flavonoids, tannins, alkaloids and antioxidant activity with a higher level in A. monosperma than L. crithmoides. The leaf extracts of both plants showed higher values than the stem extracts. The sesquiterpenes group were the major identified compounds of the essential oils (EOs) in A. monosperma and L. crithmoides, and the majority were oxygenated sesquiterpenes with percentages of 42.63% and 51.49%, respectively. The second major group of EOs was monoterpenes, which were represented in A. monosperma in concentrations (34.04%) much higher than those recorded in L. crithmoides (4.97%). Exploring the local adaptation mechanism used by the target plants helps us to understand how these plants can acclimatize to harsh conditions, and this provides critical insights into the protection and survival strategy of species under extreme conditions.

Artemisia judaica L. diminishes diabetes-induced reproductive dysfunction in male rats via activation of Nrf2/HO-1-mediated antioxidant responses

Diabetes mellitus is a well-known danger element for the progression of male reproductive dysfunctions. Available evidence supports oxidative stress to be the underlying mechanism for the manifestation of testicular dysfunctions during diabetes, and this relation represents an attractive target to antagonize these complications. Artemisia judaica L. is known to have antidiabetic and antioxidant characteristics. The possible protective effect of Artemisia judaica against diabetes-induced testicular disorders was not explored. In this investigation, we planned to estimate the possible protective effect of Artemisia judaica extract against diabetes-induced testicular disorders in male rats. The blood levels of insulin, glucose, glycosylated hemoglobin, testosterone, luteinizing hormone and follicle stimulating hormone were evaluated in rats after 12 weeks of Artemisia judaica treatment. Further, oxidative stress markers were determined in their testicular tissue. Epididymal fluid and testicular histological changes were also assessed. Expression of proliferating cell nuclear antigen has been evaluated in testis. Testicular mRNA expression of nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 and heme oxygenase-1 as the significant transcription factors in controlling antioxidant system were evaluated by real-time polymerase chain reaction. Artemisia judaica extracts have the ability to ameliorate the elevation in the serum glucose and blood glycosylated hemoglobin and the reduction in insulin, testosterone, follicle stimulating hormone and luteinizing hormone caused by streptozotocin-induced diabetes. It induced a significant recovery of the testicular oxidative stress markers, sperm characteristics and improved histopathological findings of the testes. Treatment with Artemisia judaica extracts led to an increase in proliferating cell nuclear antigen protein expression. Reduction of testicular oxidative stress potential in streptozotocin-treated groups was confirmed by upregulation of nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 and heme oxygenase-1.

Antiviral and Immunomodulation Effects of Artemisia

Background and Objectives: Artemisia is one of the most widely distributed genera of the family Astraceae with more than 500 diverse species growing mainly in the temperate zones of Europe, Asia and North America. The plant is used in Chinese and Ayurvedic systems of medicine for its antiviral, antifungal, antimicrobial, insecticidal, hepatoprotective and neuroprotective properties. Research based studies point to Artemisia's role in addressing an entire gamut of physiological imbalances through a unique combination of pharmacological actions. Terpenoids, flavonoids, coumarins, caffeoylquinic acids, sterols and acetylenes are some of the major phytochemicals of the genus. Notable among the phytochemicals is artemisinin and its derivatives (ARTs) that represent a new class of recommended drugs due to the emergence of bacteria and parasites that are resistant to quinoline drugs. This manuscript aims to systematically review recent studies that have investigated artemisinin and its derivatives not only for their potent antiviral actions but also their utility against the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Materials andMethods: PubMed Central, Scopus and Google scholar databases of published articles were collected and abstracts were reviewed for relevance to the subject matter. Conclusions: The unprecedented impact that artemisinin had on public health and drug discovery research led the Nobel Committee to award the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 2015 to the discoverers of artemisinin. Thus, it is clear that Artemisia's importance in indigenous medicinal systems and drug discovery systems holds great potential for further investigation into its biological activities, especially its role in viral infection and inflammation.

Effects of nanocapsules of poly-ε-caprolactone containing artemisinin on zebrafish early-life stages and adults

Artemisinin extracted from Artemisia annua L. plants has a range of properties that qualifies it to treat several diseases, such as malaria and cancer. However, it has short half-life, which requires making continuous use of it, which has motivated the association of artemisinin (ART) with polymeric nanoparticles to increase its therapeutic efficiency. However, the ecotoxicological safety of this association has been questioned, given the scarcity of studies in this area. Thus, in this work the toxicity of Poly (ε-Caprolactone) nanocapsules added with ART (ART-NANO) in zebrafish (Danio rerio), embryos and adults was studied. Different endpoints were analyzed in organisms exposed to ART-NANO, including those predictive of embryotoxicity and histopatoxicity. Embryotoxicity was analyzed based on Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) test guideline (236) for fish embryo acute toxicity applied to zebrafish (Danio rerio) at 96 hpf under five nominal logarithmic concentrations (0.125 to 2.0 mg/ L). Our results demonstrate, mainly, that fertilized eggs presented increased coagulation, lack of heart rate, vitelline sac displacement and lack of somite formation. On the other hand, adult individuals (exposed to the same concentrations and evaluated after 24 and 96 h of exposure) have shown increased pericarditis. Therefore, the treatment based on ART, poly (ε-caprolactone) nanocapsules and on their combination at different concentrations have shown toxic effects on zebrafish embryos and adult individuals.

The potential of Artemisia species for use as broad-spectrum agents in the management of metabolic syndrome: a review

Although the prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MetS), a cluster of cardiometabolic risk factors that predispose to the development of type 2 diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular diseases, is increasing globally, there is no broad-spectrum agent for its holistic treatment. Natural plant-derived products with a wide spectrum of biological activities are currently being explored as alternatives in the management of diseases. Artemisia species are a heterozygous group of plants of the Compositae family that possess several health benefits. Here we highlight their antidiabetic, anti-obesity, anti-hyperlipidaemic, hepatoprotective and cardioprotective properties among others. These activities have been linked to the presence of phytochemicals that act on several molecular targets to exert their effects and the species of Artemisia are considered to be relatively safe. Artemisia species offer significant anti-MetS activity and thus are strong therapeutic candidates for the effective management of MetS.

Physiological Adaptation to Water Salinity in Six Wild Halophytes Suitable for Mediterranean Agriculture

Owing to the high interspecific biodiversity, halophytes have been regarded as a tool for understanding salt tolerance mechanisms in plants in view of their adaptation to climate change. The present study addressed the physiological response to salinity of six halophyte species common in the Mediterranean area: Artemisia absinthium, Artemisia vulgaris, Atriplex halimus, Chenopodium album, Salsola komarovii, and Sanguisorba minor. A 161-day pot experiment was conducted, watering the plants with solutions at increasing NaCl concentration (control, 100, 200, 300 and 600 mM). Fresh weight (FW), leaf stomatal conductance (GS), relative water content (RWC) and water potential (WP) were measured. A principal component analysis (PCA) was used to describe the relationships involving the variables that accounted for data variance. A. halimus was shown to be the species most resilient to salinity, being able to maintain FW up to 300 mM, and RWC and WP up to 600 mM; it was followed by C. album. Compared to them, A. vulgaris and S. komarovii showed intermediate performances, achieving the highest FW (A. vulgaris) and GS (S. komarovii) under salinity. Lastly, S. minor and A. absinthium exhibited the most severe effects with a steep drop in GS and RWC. Lower WP values appeared to be associated with best halophyte performances under the highest salinity levels, i.e., 300 and 600 mM NaCl.

New insights into the antibacterial and quorum sensing inhibition mechanism of Artemisia argyi leaf extracts towards Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1

This study aimed to investigate the anti-quorum sensing (QS) activity of Artemisia argyi leaf extracts (AALE) towards Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1 as well as the underlying molecular mechanisms. Using a biosensor Chromobacterium violaceum CV026, AALE were found to have anti-QS activity as AALE treatment significantly inhibited the violacein production of C. violaceum CV026 while produced little effect on the cell growth. Beyond that a higher dosage of AALE inhibited cell growth, sub-MIC of AALE significantly reduced the production of QS-regulated virulence factors (pyocyanin, elastase, and rhamnolipid), biofilm formation, and the swarming and swimming motility in P. aeruginosa PAO1 with a dosage-dependent manner. Quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) analysis did not detect the direct inhibitory effect of AALE on the expression of QS genes (lasI, lasR, rhlI, and rhlR). By iTRAQ-based quantitative proteomic analysis, 129 proteins were found to be differentially expressed upon AALE treatment, with 85 upregulated and 44 downregulated proteins, respectively. Functional enrichment analysis of the differential proteins revealed that AALE exerted anti-QS activity towards P. aeruginosa PAO1 by upregulating the expression of the global regulator CsrA, inducing oxidative stress, and perturbing protein homeostasis. Moreover, the inhibitory effect of AALE on the virulence of P. aeruginosa PAO1 was likely to be achieved by attenuating the expression of QS-regulated genes instead of QS genes. Collectively, the results of this study provide a basis for the future use of AALE as a preservative in controlling food spoilage caused by P. aeruginosa.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13205-021-02663-5.

Enhancement of In Vitro Production of Volatile Organic Compounds by Shoot Differentiation in Artemisia spicigera

Callus initiation, shoot formation and plant regeneration were established for Artemisia spicigera, a traditional medicinal plant growing in Armenia, Middle-Anatolia and Iran, and producing valuable volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that are mostly represented by monoterpenoids. Optimal callus initiation and shoot production were obtained by culture of hypocotyl and cotyledon explants on MS medium comprising 0.5 mg L^-1 naphthalene acetic acid (NAA) and 0.5 mg L^-1 6-benzyladenine (BA). Consequently, the shoots were transferred onto the MS media supplemented with 1 mg L^-1 of indole-3-butyric acid (IBA) or 1 mg L^-1 of NAA. Both types of auxin induced root formation on the shoots and the resulting plantlets were successfully grown in pots. The production of VOCs in callus tissues and regenerated plantlets was studied by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis. Although the potential of undifferentiated callus to produce VOCs was very low, an increased content of bioactive volatile components was observed at the beginning of shoot primordia differentiation. Intriguingly, the volatiles obtained from in vitro plantlets showed quantitative and qualitative variation depending on the type of auxins used for the rooting process. The acquired quantities based on total ion current (TIC) showed that the regenerated plantlets using 1 mg L^-1 NAA produced higher amounts of oxygenated monoterpenes such as camphor (30.29%), cis-thujone (7.07%), and 1,8-cineole (6.71%) and sesquiterpene derivatives, namely germacrene D (8.75%), bicyclogermacrene (4.0%) and spathulenol (1.49%) compared with the intact plant. According to these findings, in vitro generation of volatile organic compounds in A. spicigera depends on the developmental stages of tissues and may enhance with the formation of shoot primordia and regeneration of plantlets.

Phytochemistry and pharmacological activity of the genus artemisia

Artemisia and its allied species have been employed for conventional medicine in the Northern temperate regions of North America, Europe, and Asia for the treatments of digestive problems, morning sickness, irregular menstrual cycle, typhoid, epilepsy, renal problems, bronchitis malaria, etc. The multidisciplinary use of artemisia species has various other health benefits that are related to its traditional and modern pharmaceutical perspectives. The main objective of this review is to evaluate the traditional, modern, biological as well as pharmacological use of the essential oil and herbal extracts of Artemisia nilagirica, Artemisia parviflora, and other allied species of Artemisia. It also discusses the botanical circulation and its phytochemical constituents viz disaccharides, polysaccharides, glycosides, saponins, terpenoids, flavonoids, and carotenoids. The plants have different biological importance like antiparasitic, antimalarial, antihyperlipidemic, antiasthmatic, antiepileptic, antitubercular, antihypertensive, antidiabetic, anxiolytic, antiemetic, antidepressant, anticancer, hepatoprotective, gastroprotective, insecticidal, antiviral activities, and also against COVID-19. Toxicological studies showed that the plants at a low dose and short duration are non or low-toxic. In contrast, a high dose at 3 g/kg and for a longer duration can cause toxicity like rapid respiration, neurotoxicity, reproductive toxicity, etc. However, further in-depth studies are needed to determine the medicinal uses, clinical efficacy and safety are crucial next steps.

Artemisia scoparia and Metabolic Health: Untapped Potential of an Ancient Remedy for Modern Use

Botanicals have a long history of medicinal use for a multitude of ailments, and many modern pharmaceuticals were originally isolated from plants or derived from phytochemicals. Among these, artemisinin, first isolated from Artemisia annua, is the foundation for standard anti-malarial therapies. Plants of the genus Artemisia are among the most common herbal remedies across Asia and Central Europe. The species Artemisia scoparia (SCOPA) is widely used in traditional folk medicine for various liver diseases and inflammatory conditions, as well as for infections, fever, pain, cancer, and diabetes. Modern in vivo and in vitro studies have now investigated SCOPA's effects on these pathologies and its ability to mitigate hepatotoxicity, oxidative stress, obesity, diabetes, and other disease states. This review focuses on the effects of SCOPA that are particularly relevant to metabolic health. Indeed, in recent years, an ethanolic extract of SCOPA has been shown to enhance differentiation of cultured adipocytes and to share some properties of thiazolidinediones (TZDs), a class of insulin-sensitizing agonists of the adipogenic transcription factor PPARγ. In a mouse model of diet-induced obesity, SCOPA diet supplementation lowered fasting insulin and glucose levels, while inducing metabolically favorable changes in adipose tissue and liver. These observations are consistent with many lines of evidence from various tissues and cell types known to contribute to metabolic homeostasis, including immune cells, hepatocytes, and pancreatic beta-cells. Compounds belonging to several classes of phytochemicals have been implicated in these effects, and we provide an overview of these bioactives. The ongoing global epidemics of obesity and metabolic disease clearly require novel therapeutic approaches. While the mechanisms involved in SCOPA's effects on metabolic, anti-inflammatory, and oxidative stress pathways are not fully characterized, current data support further investigation of this plant and its bioactives as potential therapeutic agents in obesity-related metabolic dysfunction and many other conditions.

Insecticidal Terpenes From the Essential Oils of Artemisia nakaii and Their Inhibitory Effects on Acetylcholinesterase

Essential oils (EOs) are often the source of insecticidal substances of high efficiency and low toxicity. From gas chromatograph-mass spectrometer, column chromatography, and nuclear magnetic resonance spectra analyses, twenty terpenes were identified from the EOs of Artemisia nakaii. These comprised mostly monoterpenes (49.01%) and sesquiterpenes (50.76%). The terpenes at the highest concentrations in the EOs of A. nakaii were feropodin (200.46 ± 1.42 μg/ml), (+)-camphor (154.93 ± 9.72 μg/ml), β-selinene (57.73 ± 2.48 μg/ml), and 1,8-cineole (17.99 ± 1.06 μg/ml), calculated using area normalization and external standards. The EOs were tested for biological activity and showed strong fumigant toxicity and significant antifeedant activity against the larvae of Spodoptera litura. Furthermore, the monoterpenes 1,8-cineole and (+)-camphor displayed significant fumigant activity against S. litura, with LC₅₀ values of 7.00 ± 0.85 and 18.16 ± 2.31 μl/L, respectively. Antifeedant activity of the sesquiterpenes feropodin and β-selinene was obvious, with EC₅₀ values of 12.23 ± 2.60 and 10.46 ± 0.27 μg/cm², respectively. The EOs and β-selinene were also found to inhibit acetylcholinesterase, with IC₅₀ values of 37.75 ± 3.59 and 6.88 ± 0.48 μg/ml, respectively. These results suggest that monoterpenes and sesquiterpenes from the EOs of A. nakaii could potentially be applied as a botanical pesticides in the control of S. litura.

R, Rocha P, López Rodilla JM. Chemical Composition and Antibacterial Activity of Lippia multiflora Moldenke Essential Oil from Different Regions of Angola

The purpose of the study was to determine the chemical composition and antibacterial activity of Lippia multiflora Moldenke essential oils (EOs) collected in different regions of Angola. Antibacterial activity was evaluated using the agar wells technique and vapour phase test. Analysis of the oils by GC/MS identified thirty-five components representing 67.5 to 100% of the total oils. Monoterpene hydrocarbons were the most prevalent compounds, followed by oxygenated monoterpenes. The content of the compounds varied according to the samples. The main components were Limonene, Piperitenone, Neral, Citral, Elemol, p-cymene, Transtagetone, and Artemisia ketone. Only one of the eleven samples contained Verbenone as the majority compound. In the vapour phase test, a single oil was the most effective against all the pathogens studied. The principal component analysis (PCA) and hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) of components of the selected EOs and inhibition zone diameter values of agar wells technique allowed us to identify a variability between the plants from the two provinces, but also intraspecific variability between sub-groups within a population. Each group of essential oils constituted a chemotype responsible for their bacterial inhibition capacity. The results presented here suggest that Angolan Lippia multiflora Moldenke has antibacterial properties and could be a potential source of antimicrobial agents for the pharmaceutical and food industry.

Research Advances on Health Effects of Edible Artemisia Species and Some Sesquiterpene Lactones Constituents

The genus Artemisia, often known collectively as "wormwood", has aroused great interest in the scientific community, pharmaceutical and food industries, generating many studies on the most varied aspects of these plants. In this review, the most recent evidence on health effects of edible Artemisia species and some of its constituents are presented and discussed, based on studies published until 2020, available in the Scopus, Web of Sciences and PubMed databases, related to food applications, nutritional and sesquiterpene lactones composition, and their therapeutic effects supported by in vivo and clinical studies. The analysis of more than 300 selected articles highlights the beneficial effect on health and the high clinical relevance of several Artemisia species besides some sesquiterpene lactones constituents and their derivatives. From an integrated perspective, as it includes therapeutic and nutritional properties, without ignoring some adverse effects described in the literature, this review shows the great potential of Artemisia plants and some of their constituents as dietary supplements, functional foods and as the source of new, more efficient, and safe medicines. Despite all the benefits demonstrated, some gaps need to be filled, mainly related to the use of raw Artemisia extracts, such as its standardization and clinical trials on adverse effects and its health care efficacy.

Ethanolic extract of Artemisia campestris subsp. glutinosa (Besser) Batt. inhibits HIV-1 replication in vitro through the activity of terpenes and flavonoids on viral entry and NF-κB pathway

ETHNO-PHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

The genus Artemisia spp. is well known for its anti-infectious properties and its high content in anti-infectious compounds, like the well-known sweet wormwood (Artemisia annua L.). Another Artemisia species, Artemisia campestris subsp. glutinosa (Besser) Batt., field wormwood, has been traditionally used as medicinal plant in the Mediterranean region.

AIM OF THE STUDY

The aim of this study is to investigate the anti-HIV activity of field wormwood, to identify the compounds responsible for this activity and their structure and mechanism of action.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Antiviral activity of isolated compounds and extracts was evaluated in HIV-1 infections of lymphoblastoid cells. We also evaluated the mechanism of action of isolated compounds. Viral entry was studied comparing the inhibitory effect of isolated compounds on wild type HIV-1 and VSV pseudotyped HIV-1. To assess the viral transcriptional effect, plasmids encoding luciferase reporter genes under the control of the whole genome of HIV-1 or NF-κB or Sp1 transcription factors were transfected in the presence of the compounds under evaluation. Finally, antioxidant activity was assessed by quantitation of reduced and total glutathione in treated cell cultures.

RESULTS

Ethanolic and aqueous extracts of Artemisia campestris subsp. glutinosa (Besser) Batt. subsp. glutinosa displayed anti-HIV activity in vitro, although ethanolic extract was more powerful (IC₅₀ 14.62 μg/mL). Bio-guided ethanolic extract fractionation leads to the isolation and characterization of two terpenes, damsin and canrenone, and four flavonoids, 6, 2', 4'-trimethoxyflavone, acerosin, cardamonin and xanthomicrol. All the isolated compounds inhibited HIV-1 replication in vitro with IC₅₀ values between the middle nanomolar and the low micromolar range. Their anti-HIV mechanism of action is due to the bloking of viral entry and/or transcription inhibition, without correlation with the antioxidant activity, through interference with the cellular transcription factors NF-κB and Sp1, which are targets that are not currently reached by antiretroviral therapy.

CONCLUSION

We describe here the anti-HIV activity of field wormwood, Artemisia campestris subsp. glutinosa (Besser) Batt., and the isolation and study of the mechanism of action of two terpenes and four flavonoids, responsible, at least in part, for its activity, through the inhibition of two different cellular targets affecting the HIV replication cycle. The activity of these compounds in cellular targets could explain why plant extracts can be used in the treatment of different diseases. Besides, the presence of several compounds with dual and different mechanisms of action could prove useful in the treatment of HIV-1 infection, since it could aid to overcome drug resistances and simplify drug therapy. This work is a further step in understanding the anti-infectious activity of wormwood species and their use in treating infectious diseases.

Phytochemical and pharmacological activities of methanol extract of Artemisia vulgaris L. leaves

Background

Artemisia vulgaris commonly known as “mugwort” is a very important medicinal plant which is used widely for the treatment of various ailments traditionally. The present studies aimed to conduct preliminary phytochemical screening and evaluate antioxidants and analgesic activities of leaves extract.

Results

Phytochemical screening showed the presence of saponins, glycosides, flavanoids, protein, triterpenoids in leaves extract. In DPPH, percentage inhibition of the scavenging activity (68.06%) by the extract in comparison with ascorbic acid (93.53%) at 60 μg/ml while in reducing power assay, the result shown the reducing power increases with the increase of concentration as (0.13 ± 0.02), (0.27 ± 0.03), (0.42 ± 0.03), (0.62 ± 0.05), (0.79 ± 0.02), (0.95 ± 0.05) at concentration of 5, 10, 15, 30, 60 and 100 μg/ml respectively. The evaluation of analgesic activities revealed that at the dose of 200 and 400 mg/kg of the extract showed significantly inhibited the writhing response induced by acetic acid by 8.60% and 32.03% comparatively with indomethacin at a dose of 10 mg/kg b. wt. exhibited 56.87% inhibition. Whereas, in the tail immersion methods, at the dose of 400 mg/kg b. wt. was showed higher deflexion value as 3.40 ± 0.300, while 200 mg/kg b. wt. was resulted at 2.90 ± 0.200 value in dose dependent manner at the maximum time of the studies (60 min). Comparatively, the reference drug indomethacin at dose 10 mg/kg b. wt. has shown the highest deflexion value (5.134 ± 0.351).

Conclusion

This finding concludes that the methanolic leaves extract has a potent antioxidants and analgesic activities and it could be attributed to the presence of flavonoids, triterpenoids, saponin, glycosides and proteins. A further study is required to find out the novel bioactive compound of Artemisia vulgaris L. which can lead more effective in various biological activities.

Methanolic extract of Artemisia absinthium prompts apoptosis, enhancing expression of Bax/Bcl-2 ratio, cell cycle arrest, caspase-3 activation and mitochondrial membrane potential destruction in human colorectal cancer HCT-116 cells

The Artemisia absinthium (AA), belongs to the Asteraceae family, is used as a therapeutic agent in traditional medicine in Iran. It is a rich source of biology-active compounds. However, the molecular mechanism of AA contributing to cell proliferation and apoptosis is still unknown. This study aims to assess the anticancer activity of the methanolic extract of A. absinthium (MEAA) against human colorectal cancer HCT-116 cell line. The cytotoxic effects of MEAA on HCT-116 cells was evaluated by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium (MTT) assay. The expression levels of BAX and BCL-2 in HCT-116 cell line were examined by qRT-PCR. Annexin V/PI-flow cytometry technique was used to detect the cell cycle and apoptosis. MMP was predicted by Rhodamine 123 staining, and caspase 3 activity was analyzed by ELISA. Western blot method was performed to detect the expression level of BAX, Bcl-2 and Caspase-3 proteins. The MTT test revealed MEAA reduced the viability of HCT-116 cells. The mRNA and protein levels of BAX increased, but those of BCL-2 decreased in MEAA-treated cells. MEAA also prompted cell cycle arrest and induced apoptosis. After adding MEAA, the protein level and activity of caspase 3 and MMP destruction significantly increased. MEAA predominantly prompted apoptosis in HCT-116 cells by activating the mitochondrial pathway.

Bioactive Principles and Potentiality of Hot Methanolic Extract of the Leaves from Artemisia absinthium L "in vitro Cytotoxicity Against Human MCF-7 Breast Cancer Cells, Antibacterial Study and Wound Healing Activity"

BACKGROUND

Artemisia absinthium L is an ornamental plant widespread in Saudi Arabia. Traditionally, the plant has been used in the Arabic medicine. But the scientific evidence of the bioactive compounds and their medicinal value was not yet explored widely.

OBJECTIVE

The study was designed to analyse the bioactive principles and medicinal properties of Artemisia absinthium L, a traditional herb grown in southern part of Saudi Arabia.

METHODS

The bioactive compounds present in Hot Methanolic Extract of the Leaves (HMEL) of Artemisia absinthium L. was explored by GC-MS analysis. The cytotoxicity effect of HMEL was determined against MCF-7 breast cancer cells ATCC and human colon cancer cells HCT 116 ATCC by performing MTT assay. Morphological changes of HMEL treated MCF-7 were observed under a phasecontrast microscope by staining the cells with neutral red. A Reaction Mixture (RM) of HMEL was prepared in Milli-Q water and antibacterial susceptibility was performed against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. Furthermore, in vivo wound healing properties of the RM was screened in male rats and their efficacy was compared with standard povidone iodine cream. Biomarkers such as IL-1β, IL- 6, TNF- α, caspase-9 and caspase-3 levels were determined to qualify the wound healing property.

RESULTS

Epiyangambin, flavone, octadecanoic acid, 2,3-dihydroxypropyl ester, palmitic acid β - monoglyceride, á-D-mannofuranoside, camphor, and terpineol were identified as possible compounds through GC-MS analysis. The HMEL of Artemisia absinthium L was actively inhibiting the proliferation of breast cancer cells MCF-7 ATCC at the concentration of 80.96 ± 3.94 μg/ml as IC50 value but failed to inhibit the proliferation against the treated human colon cancer cells HCT 116 cells ATCC. HMEL of Artemisia absinthium L was showing a moderate spectrum of antibacterial effect against the screened bacteria. RM showed better wound healing property than standard povidone iodine cream that modulates cytokine networks and apoptosis markers levels indicated the healing of wound.

CONCLUSION

The study suggested that novel anticancer, antibacterial and immune modulatory molecules can be developed from the leaves of Artemisia absinthium L.

Anti-SARS-CoV Natural Products With the Potential to Inhibit SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19)

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), known to cause the disease COVID-19, was declared a pandemic in early 2020. The objective of this review was to collate information regarding the potential of plants and natural products to inhibit coronavirus and targets associated with infection in humans and to highlight known drugs, which may have potential activity against SARS-CoV-2. Due to the similarity in the RNA genome, main proteases, and primary host receptor between SARS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2, a review was conducted on plants and secondary metabolites, which have shown activity against SARS-CoV. Numerous scientific reports on the potential of plants and secondary metabolites against SARS-CoV infection were found, providing important information on their possible activity against SARS-CoV-2. Based on current literature, 83 compounds have been identified with the potential to inhibit COVID-19. The most prominent selectivity was found for the alkaloid, lycorine, the lignan, savinin, and the abietane terpenoid, 8-beta-hydroxyabieta-9(11),13-dien-12-one with selectivity index values greater than 945, 667, and 510, respectively. Plants and their secondary metabolites, with activity against targets associated with the SARS-CoV infection, could provide valuable leads for the development into drugs for the novel SARS-CoV-2. The prospects of using computational methods to screen secondary metabolites against SARS-CoV targets are briefly discussed, and the drawbacks have been highlighted. Finally, we discuss plants traditionally used in Southern Africa for symptoms associated with respiratory viral infections and influenza, such as coughs, fever, and colds. However, only a few of these plants have been screened against SARS-CoV. Natural products hold a prominent role in discovering novel therapeutics to mitigate the current COVID-19 pandemic; however, further investigations regarding in vitro, in vivo, pre-clinical, and clinical phases are still required.

Significance of Artemisia Vulgaris L. (Common Mugwort) in the History of Medicine and Its Possible Contemporary Applications Substantiated by Phytochemical and Pharmacological Studies

Artemisia vulgaris L. (common mugwort) is a species with great importance in the history of medicine and was called the “mother of herbs” in the Middle Ages. It is a common herbaceous plant that exhibits high morphological and phytochemical variability depending on the location where it occurs. This species is well known almost all over the world. Its herb—Artemisiae vulgaris herba—is used as a raw material due to the presence of essential oil, flavonoids, and sesquiterpenoids lactones and their associated biological activities. The European Pharmacopoeia has listed this species as a potential homeopathic raw material. Moreover, this species has been used in traditional Chinese, Hindu, and European medicine to regulate the functioning of the gastrointestinal system and treat various gynecological diseases. The general aim of this review was to analyze the progress of phytochemical and pharmacological as well as professional scientific studies focusing on A. vulgaris. Thus far, numerous authors have confirmed the beneficial properties of A. vulgaris herb extracts, including their antioxidant, hepatoprotective, antispasmolytic, antinociceptive, estrogenic, cytotoxic, antibacterial, and antifungal effects. In addition, several works have reviewed the use of this species in the production of cosmetics and its role as a valuable spice in the food industry. Furthermore, biotechnological micropropagation of A. vulgaris has been analyzed.

The potential antimalarial efficacy of hemocompatible silver nanoparticles from Artemisia species against P. falciparum parasite

Malaria represents one of the most common infectious diseases which becoming an impellent public health problem worldwide. Antimalarial classical medications include quinine-based drugs, like chloroquine, and artesunate, a derivative of artemisinin, a molecule found in the plant Artemisia annua. Such therapeutics are very effective but show heavy side effects like drug resistance. In this study, "green" silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) have been prepared from two Artemisia species (A. abrotanum and A. arborescens), traditionally used in folk medicine as a remedy for different conditions, and their potential antimalarial efficacy have been assessed. AgNPs have been characterized by UV-Vis, dynamic light scattering and zeta potential, FTIR, XRD, TEM and EDX. The structural characterization has demonstrated the spheroidal shape of nanoparticles and dimensions under 50 nm, useful for biomedical studies. Zeta potential analysis have shown the stability and dispersion of green AgNPs in aqueous medium without aggregation. AgNPs hemocompatibility and antimalarial activity have been studied in Plasmodium falciparum cultures in in vitro experiments. The antiplasmodial effect has been assessed using increasing doses of AgNPs (0.6 to 7.5 μg/mL) on parasitized red blood cells (pRBCs). Obtained data showed that the hemocompatibility of AgNPs is related to their synthetic route and depends on the administered dose. A. abrotanum-AgNPs (1) have shown the lowest percentage of hemolytic activity on pRBCs, underlining their hemocompatibility. These results are in accordance with the lower levels of parasitemia observed after A. abrotanum-AgNPs (1) treatment respect to A. arborescens-AgNPs (2), and AgNPs (3) derived from a classical chemical synthesis. Moreover, after 24 and 48 hours of A. abrotanum-AgNPs (1) treatment, the parasite growth was locked in the ring stage, evidencing the effect of these nanoparticles to hinder the maturation of P. falciparum. The anti-malarial activity of A. abrotanum-AgNPs (1) on pRBCs was demonstrated to be higher than that of A. arborescens-AgNPs (2).

Artemisia absinthium L.-Importance in the History of Medicine, the Latest Advances in Phytochemistry and Therapeutical, Cosmetological and Culinary Uses

Artemisia absinthium-wormwood (Asteraceae)-is a very important species in the history of medicine, formerly described in medieval Europe as "the most important master against all exhaustions". It is a species known as a medicinal plant in Europe and also in West Asia and North America. The raw material obtained from this species is Absinthii herba and Artemisiae absinthii aetheroleum. The main substances responsible for the biological activity of the herb are: the essential oil, bitter sesquiterpenoid lactones, flavonoids, other bitterness-imparting compounds, azulenes, phenolic acids, tannins and lignans. In the official European medicine, the species is used in both allopathy and homeopathy. In the traditional Asian and European medicine, it has been used as an effective agent in gastrointestinal ailments and also in the treatment of helminthiasis, anaemia, insomnia, bladder diseases, difficult-to-heal wounds, and fever. Today, numerous other directions of biological activity of the components of this species have been demonstrated and confirmed by scientific research, such as antiprotozoal, antibacterial, antifungal, anti-ulcer, hepatoprotective, anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory, cytotoxic, analgesic, neuroprotective, anti-depressant, procognitive, neurotrophic, and cell membrane stabilizing and antioxidant activities. A. absinthium is also making a successful career as a cosmetic plant. In addition, the importance of this species as a spice plant and valuable additive in the alcohol industry (famous absinthe and vermouth-type wines) has not decreased. The species has also become an object of biotechnological research.

Quality grade classification of China commercial moxa floss using electronic nose: A supervised learning approach

Moxa floss is the primary material used in moxibustion, an important traditional Chinese medicine therapy that uses ignited moxa floss to apply heat to the body for disease treatment. Till date, there is no available data regarding quality control of different grades of moxa floss. The objectives of this study were to explore the probative value of the electronic nose (e-nose) in differentiating different quality grades of commercial moxa floss sold in China, and to investigate if data mining techniques could be used to optimize the sensor array while retaining classification accuracy of the samples. The e-nose with 12 metal oxide semiconductor type sensors was used to analyze the odor profiles of 15 commercial moxa floss samples of different quality grades. Feature selection algorithms using principal component analysis (PCA) and BestFirst (BC) coupled with correlation-based feature subset selection (CfsSubsetEval) method were used to obtain the most efficient feature subsets. Results for the BC feature selection method identified 3 optimized sensors (S2, S6, and S11), suggesting that aromatic compounds relate more to the identification of the samples. Radial basis function (RBF), multilayer perceptron (MLP), and random forests (RF) performed well in discriminating the samples, retaining prediction accuracies above 85%, which achieved cost-effectiveness and operational simplicity, while retaining prediction accuracy. The e-nose could be a rapid and nondestructive method for objective preliminary classification of quality grades of moxa floss and may be used for future studies related to moxa products safety and quality.

Chamazulene-Rich Artemisia arborescens Essential Oils Affect the Cell Growth of Human Melanoma Cells

Artemisia arborescens is an aromatic shrub whose essential oils are considered a potential source of molecules with industrial and pharmaceutical interest. The chemical profile of A. arborescens essential oils (EOs) was shown to be quite variable and various chemotypes have been identified. In this study, we compared the EOs composition of A. arborescens leaves and flowers collected from four different locations in Sicily. The EOs were assayed for their antiproliferative activity against A375 human malignant melanoma cells, also testing cell viability and cell membrane integrity. The evaluation of DNA fragmentation and caspase-3 activity assay was employed for the detection of apoptosis. The expression of Bcl-2, Bax, cleaved caspase-9, PTEN (Phosphatase and tensin homolog), Hsp70 (Heat Shock Protein 70 kilodaltons) and SOD (superoxide dismutase) proteins was evaluated by Western blot analysis. The levels of ROS and GSH were also analyzed. Results show that EOs presented significant differences in their composition, yield, and cytotoxic activity depending on the collection site. The chamazulene/camphor-rich EOs from plants collected in Acqua Calda (Lipari) resulted particularly active on melanoma cancer cells (IC₅₀ values of 6.7 and 4.5 µg/mL), being able to trigger apoptotic death probably interfering with endogenous defense mechanisms. These oils may be considered as a natural resource of chamazulene, containing this compound up to 63%.

Artemisinin and its derivatives: a promising cancer therapy

The world is experiencing a cancer epidemic and an increase in the prevalence of the disease. Cancer remains a major killer, accounting for more than half a million deaths annually. There is a wide range of natural products that have the potential to treat this disease. One of these products is artemisinin; a natural product from Artemisia plant. The Nobel Prize for Medicine was awarded in 2015 for the discovery of artemisinin in recognition of the drug's efficacy. Artemisinin produces highly reactive free radicals by the breakdown of two oxygen atoms that kill cancerous cells. These cells sequester iron and accumulate as much as 1000 times in comparison with normal cells. Generally, chemotherapy is toxic to both cancerous cells and normal cells, while no significant cytotoxicity from artemisinin to normal cells has been found in more than 4000 case studies, which makes it far different than conventional chemotherapy. The pleiotropic response of artemisinin in cancer cells is responsible for growth inhibition by multiple ways including inhibition of angiogenesis, apoptosis, cell cycle arrest, disruption of cell migration, and modulation of nuclear receptor responsiveness. It is very encouraging that artemisinin and its derivatives are anticipated to be a novel class of broad-spectrum antitumor agents based on efficacy and safety. This review aims to highlight these achievements and propose potential strategies to develop artemisinin and its derivatives as a new class of cancer therapeutic agents.

Artemisia vulgaris efficacies against various stages of Aedes aegypti

Background and Aim:

Aedes aegypti is the vector of dengue fever, dengue hemorrhagic fever, chikungunya, and, most recently, Zika. Dengue fever is one of Indonesia’s endemic diseases. The principal tool for preventing dengue is controlling Ae. aegypti by chemical insecticides since vaccine against dengue is still under research. However, Ae. aegypti developed resistance to various chemical insecticides worldwide. Therefore, research on alternate compounds as mosquito insecticides is urgently needed. This study demonstrated the efficacy of Artemisia vulgaris extract as larvicidal, ovicidal, adulticidal, repellency, and oviposition deterrent activity against Ae. aegypti.

Materials and Methods:

A. vulgaris was obtained from Temanggung, Indonesia, while the eggs of Ae. aegypti were collected from Yogyakarta, Indonesia, and were hatched in Laboratory of Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Universitas Gadjah Mada. Larvicidal activity was evaluated according to the WHO protocol; adulticidal activity was performed using the Centers for Disease Control protocol. Oviposition activity was evaluated using ovitraps added with A. vulgaris extract, complete protection time in the repellent assay was defined as the number of minutes elapsed between compound application and the landing of the first mosquito.

Results:

A test of the larvicidal activity of A. vulgaris extract returned an LC₅₀ of 65.8 ppm (r²=0.9014) in 1 h and 18.6 ppm (r²=0.575) in 24 h. A. vulgaris was effective as an adulticidal, demonstrating LC₅₀ values of 11.35 mg (r²=0.875) in 90 min, 9.63 mg (r²=0.924) in 105 min, and 6.46 mg (r²=0.925) in 120 min. A. vulgaris at a concentration of 1000 ppm was able to reach 96% of oviposition deterrent effect. The ovicidal assay, a concentration of 1000 ppm resulted in 82.67% of eggs remaining unhatched. An extract concentration of 80 mg/ml achieved 63.3±3.5% biting repellency in adults.

Conclusion:

This study gives a clear indication that A. vulgaris extract acts on Ae. aegypti at various developmental stages and is a potential alternative bioinsecticide for controlling this disease vector.

Artemisia annua, a Traditional Plant Brought to Light

Traditional remedies have been used for thousand years for the prevention and treatment of infectious diseases, particularly in developing countries. Of growing interest, the plant Artemisia annua, known for its malarial properties, has been studied for its numerous biological activities including metabolic, anti-tumor, anti-microbial and immunomodulatory properties. Artemisia annua is very rich in secondary metabolites such as monoterpenes, sesquiterpenes and phenolic compounds, of which the biological properties have been extensively studied. The purpose of this review is to gather and describe the data concerning the main chemical components produced by Artemisia annua and to describe the state of the art about the biological activities reported for this plant and its compounds beyond malaria.

In-vitro and in-vivo comparative effects of the spring and autumn-harvested Artemisia aucheri Bioss extracts on Leishmania major

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Artemisia aucheri Bioss contains flavonoid, coumarin and santonin with antioxidant, antimicrobial and antileishmanial effects. The current study was aimed to comparatively evaluate the effects of spring and autumn extracts of A. aucheri Bioss on Leishmania major both in-vitro and in-vivo conditions.

METHODS

HPLC analysis was used to evaluate the percentages of compounds in spring and autumn extracts of A. aucheri. For in-vitro assay, the effect of different concentrations of spring and autumn extracts of A. aucheri was tested on L. major promastigotes and amastigotes. MTT and flow cytometry methods were used to evaluate the cytotoxicity and probable apoptosis of A. aucheri extracts on L. major promastigotes. On the other hand, for in-vivo assay, the extracts were used as ointments to treat lesions developed on BALB/c mice after 28 days post inoculation of L. major. The diameter of lesions and the survival rates of infected BALB/c mice were measured weekly for a period of two months.

RESULTS

The HPLC analysis showed the substance Quercitrin was present in the spring A. aucheri extract but not in the autumn extract. The mean numbers of amastigotes in each treated macrophage with the spring and autumn A. aucheri extracts were 1.2 and 1.8 respectively, which showed statistically significant differences (P < 0.05). Flow cytometry revealed that the spring and autumn A. aucheri extracts caused about 32% and 3.78% apoptosis respectively. The inhibitory concentration (IC50) of spring and autumn A. aucheri extracts to amastigotes were determined to be 90 μg/mL and 183 μg/mL respectiovely. In-vivo, the diameter of lesions treated with the spring A. aucheri extract was significantly less (P < 0.05) compared to those treated with the autumn extract (2.6 and 7.8 mm respectively). Also, mice treated with spring A. aucheri extract had higher survival rates compared to control group.

CONCLUSION

Given the above results, it can be concluded that spring A. aucheri extract has a greater fatality effect on L. major promastigotes in-vitro compared to the autum extract. In addition, the spring extract has stronger therapeutic effect on lesions caused by L. major in BALB/c mice than the autum extract.

An Ethnobotanical Study on Qīng-Căo-Chá Tea in Taiwan

Herbal tea, a beverage prepared from a variety of plant materials excluding the leaves of the tea plant Camellia sinensis (L.) Kuntze of the family Theaceae, for a long time, has been consumed by most Chinese people for preventive and/or therapeutic health care. Usually, it is brewed or prepared as a decoction of local plants in water. The qīng-căo-chá tea, a commercial herbal tea, is the most common among many differently formulated herbal teas in Taiwan. For hundreds of years, qīng-căo-chá tea has played an important role in the prevention and treatment of diseases associated with the environmental conditions in Taiwan. However, research studies in this field have been insufficient. The raw material formulas of qīng-căo-chá tea have always been passed down from “masters” to “apprentices.” Hence, there is no systematic collation or record, and, therefore, there is a need to assess and confirm the composition, safety, and effectiveness of the raw materials. This study aimed to document the uses of Taiwan's qīng-căo-chá tea through a semi-structured interview survey and investigate the background of traditional practitioners, tea compositions, and plant origins and uses. This will improve our understanding of the knowledge inherited by the practitioners and the theoretical basis of the medicinal uses of these teas. In our field investigation, we visited 86 shops and assessed 71 raw ingredients of qīng-căo-chá tea. A semi-structured questionnaire was used to conduct the interviews. During the interviews, in addition to written records, audio and video recordings were made, and photographs were taken with the permission of the interviewees. The qīng-căo-chá raw materials have long been used as herbal teas, although more research should clarify their efficacy and safety. Traditional sellers of qīng-căo-chá tea were mainly males, and most shops have been in operation for more than 71 years. Some of the raw materials were derived from multiple sources, including different plants, and were often mixed without any safety concerns. To our knowledge, this is the first systematic ethnobotanical study on qīng-căo-chá tea that assesses and confirms its herbal ingredients. Our study represents a reference for herbal teas in Taiwan that can be used by the public and regulatory agencies.

Bioactive Compounds, Pharmacological Actions, and Pharmacokinetics of Wormwood (Artemisia absinthium)

Plants have been used since ancient times to cure certain infectious diseases, and some of them are now standard treatments for several diseases. Due to the side effects and resistance of pathogenic microorganisms to antibiotics and most drugs on the market, a great deal of attention has been paid to extracts and biologically active compounds isolated from plant species used in herbal medicine. Artemisia absinthium is an important perennial shrubby plant that has been widely used for the treatment of several ailments. Traditionally, A. absinthium has always been of pharmaceutical and botanical importance and used to manage several disorders including hepatocyte enlargement, hepatitis, gastritis, jaundice, wound healing, splenomegaly, dyspepsia, indigestion, flatulence, gastric pain, anemia, and anorexia. It has also been documented to possess antioxidant, antifungal, antimicrobial, anthelmintic, anti-ulcer, anticarcinogenic, hepatoprotective, neuroprotective, antidepressant, analgesic, immunomodulatory, and cytotoxic activity. Long-term use of A. absinthium essential oil may cause toxic and mental disorders in humans with clinical manifestations including convulsions, sleeplessness, and hallucinations. Combination chemotherapies of artemisia extract or its isolated active constituents with the currently available antibabesial or anti-malarial drugs are now documented to relieve malaria and piroplasmosis infections. The current review examines the phytoconstituents, toxic and biological activities of A. absinthium.

Pharmacological Evaluation of Artemisia cina Crude CO2 Subcritical Extract after the Removal of Santonin by Means of High Speed Countercurrent Chromatography

Artemisia species are highly important due to their economic significance as medicines, fodder and food. Artemisia cina is an endemic species to Kazakhstan. In folk medicine, water extract of A. cina was used in the treatment of bronchial asthma while the alcohol extract has larvicidal and antituberculosis activity. The most common and most extensively studied compound from this species is the terpenoid santonin. The toxicity of this compound occurs at the doses of 60 mg for children and 200 mg for adults causing among other issues xanthopsia, leading to blindness. Having this in mind, the main idea of this work was to remove santonin from the crude extract and to check if the santonin-free extract would still be of any pharmacological importance. A CO₂ subcritical extract was chromatographed using high-speed countercurrent chromatography (HSCCC) for the removal of santonin. The santonin-free CO₂ subcritical extract (SFCO₂E) as well as the isolated compound pectolinarigenin, a flavonoid, were assessed for their pharmacological actions. From the results obtained we can safely suggest that HSCCC is an efficient methodology to completely remove santonin from the CO₂ subcritical extract. It was also possible to observe promising antinociceptive and anti–inflammatory activities for both SFCO₂E and pectolinarigenin at concentrations that can justify the production of a phytomedicine with this endemic plant from Kazakhstan.