Pro-inflammatory enzyme inhibition of lipoxygenases by flavonoid rich extract from Artemisia vulgaris.

The peroxyl radicals generated by the activity of lipoxygenases (LOX) are mediators to trigger inflammatory diseases. Therefore, it is important to investigate potent LOX inhibitor for modulating the occurrence and resolving inflammatory processes. Artemisa vulgaris, is a herbal plant that is known for flavonoids, potentially inhibiting lipid peroxidation and scavenging radicals. The objectives of the present study were to obtain flavonoids rich extract from A. vulgaris, and determine the inhibitory mode of the extract against LOX. The flavonoids rich extract was optimized in an ultrasound assisted extraction using ionic liquids as extraction solvent. The results found that the optimum conditions; ratio of solid-to-liquid (1:10) and 30 min of extraction time could produce the high yield (10.14 %) and flavonoid content (5.30 mg QE/g). The LOX activity was demonstrated to follow a mixed mode of inhibition in the presence of the flavonoid rich extract as an inhibitor. The Michaelis-Menten constant (Km) was increased from 0.283 µM to 0.435 µM, whereas the maximum velocity was reduced from 0.22 µM/min to 0.058 µM/min in the inhibition. The flavonoids rich extract is likely to be a natural potent non-competitive inhibitor which may bind to free LOX or substrate-bound LOX.

Snail-induced anaphylaxis in patients with underlying Artemisia vulgaris pollinosis: the role of carbohydrates.

PURPOSE: The importance of carbohydrates in anaphylaxis has been described with some foods. The current work intends to obtain clinical and immunological evidence of the importance of the O-glycans for IgE binding activity in anaphylactic reactions due to Helix aspersa (HA) ingestión and Artemisia vulgaris (AV) exposition. METHODS: The studio focused on two cases of IgE-mediated anaphylaxis induced by snail ingestion in patients with underlying rhino-conjunctivitis and asthma due to AV. We performed on both patients: skin prick tests ( SPTs) with HA and AV and with a battery of aeroallergen, controlled nasal challenge and specific IgE to HA and AV, ImmunoCAP ISAC®, and a differential pattern of IgE recognition with SDS-PAGE Immunoblotting (SDSI) when these allergens have suffered an O-deglycosylation procedure. RESULTS: The patients showed positive results in SPTs, nasal challenges, and serum-specific IgE against HA and AV. In patient 1, the SDSI detected several IgE-binding proteins in AV with a molecular mass of 22, 24, and 44 kDa, whereas a band of 12 kDa was detected in HA. On the other hand, patient 2's serum revealed an IgE-binding zone between 75 and 20 kDa in the AV and a band of 24 kDa in the HA. When glycans were removed, patient 1's serum only revealed the AV's 22 and 24 kDa bands, whereas patient 2's serum did not detect any IgE-reactive protein in the HA. CONCLUSIONS: Our data suggest that O-glycosylation can be relevant in patients with anaphylaxis due to snails and allergy to Artemisia vulgaris. This new entity representing cross-reactivity between AV and HA could be named Snail-Artemisia Syndrome.

Phytochemical analysis of carotenoid profile in Mentha piperita and Artemisia vulgaris: cytotoxicity in tumoral cells and evaluation of plasmid DNA cleavage.

Several medicinal plants have been administered to cancer patients attributed to their anticarcinogenic and chemoprotective properties, in addition to lower toxicity compared to traditional therapies. The aim was to investigate the antioxidant properties and carotenoid composition of aqueous extracts of Mentha piperita or Artemisia vulgaris which were previously found to exert beneficial effects on human health through diet. aqueous extracts exhibited potent antioxidant activity. A diversity of carotenoids was identified in these extracts using HPLC-PDA-MS/MS. Both extracts contained predominantly all-trans-lutein as the main component within this class. In order to investigate antioxidant properties, the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and 2,2'-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) techniques were used. The (3-4,5 dimethylthiazol-2, 5 diphenyl tetrazolium bromide) (MTT) and Crystal Violet assays assessed cellular cytotoxicity. Assessments of presence of reactive species were carried out following exposure of oral squamous cell carcinoma cell line (SCC-4) to various aqueous extracts of M piperita or A vulgaris utilizing dichlorofluorescein diacetate (DCFH-DA) and nitric oxide (NO) assays. Exposure to these extracts induced severe cytotoxic effects, which led to investigation of the biochemical and molecular mechanisms underlying this observed effect. Data demonstrated that both solutions induced oxidative stress and DNA damage, especially at higher concentrations using agarose gel subjected to electrophoresis. It is known that exposure to excess amounts of antioxidants results in a prooxidant effect which is beneficial in cancer therapy. Further, the extracts were found to reduce viability of SCC-4 in culture, indicating that this antitumoral activity may be of therapeutic importance and requires further study.

Artemisia vulgaris Induces Tumor-Selective Ferroptosis and Necroptosis via Lysosomal Ca2+ Signaling.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the chemical composition and effects of Artemisia vulgaris (AV) hydroalcoholic extract (HEAV) on breast cancer cells (MCF-7 and SKBR-3), chronic myeloid leukemia (K562) and NIH/3T3 fibroblasts. METHODS: Phytochemical analysis of HEAV was done by high-performance liquid chromatography-mass (HPLC) spectrometry. Viability and cell death studies were performed using trypan blue and Annexin/FITC-7AAD, respectively. Ferrostatin-1 (Fer-1) and necrostatin-1 (Nec-1) were used to assess the mode of HEAV-induced cell death and acetoxymethylester (BAPTA-AM) was used to verify the involvement of cytosolic calcium in this event. Cytosolic calcium measurements were made using Fura-2-AM. RESULTS: HEAV decreased the viability of MCF-7, SKBR-3 and K562 cells (P<0.05). The viability of HEAV-treated K562 cells was reduced compared to HEAV-exposed fibroblasts (P<0.05). Treatment of K562 cells with HEAV induced cell death primarily by late apoptosis and necrosis in assays using annexin V-FITC/7-AAD (P<0.05). The use of Nec-1 and Fer-1 increased the viability of K562 cells treated with HEAV relative to cells exposed to HEAV alone (P<0.01). HEAV-induced Ca2+ release mainly from lysosomes in K562 cells (P<0.01). Furthermore, BAPTA-AM, an intracellular Ca2+ chelator, decreased the number of non-viable cells treated with HEAV (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: HEAV is cytotoxic and activates several modalities of cell death, which are partially dependent on lysosomal release of Ca2+. These effects may be related to artemisinin and caffeoylquinic acids, the main compounds identified in HEAV.

In Vitro Assessment of the Antidiabetic and Anti-Inflammatory Potential of Artemisia absinthium, Artemisia vulgaris and Trigonella foenum-graecum Extracts Processed Using Membrane Technologies.

Recently, there has been increased interest in the discovery of new natural herbal remedies for treating diabetes and inflammatory diseases. In this context, this work analyzed the antidiabetic and anti-inflammatory potential of Artemisia absinthium, Artemisia vulgaris and Trigonella foenum-graecum herbs, which have been studied less from this point of view. Therefore, extracts were prepared and processed using membrane technologies, micro- and ultrafiltration, to concentrate the biologically active principles. The polyphenol and flavone contents in the extracts were analyzed. The qualitative analysis of the polyphenolic compounds was performed via HPLC, identifying chlorogenic acid, rosmarinic acid and rutin in A. absinthium; chlorogenic acid, luteolin and rutin in A. vulgaris; and genistin in T. foenum-graecum. The antidiabetic activity of the extracts was analyzed by testing their ability to inhibit α-amylase and α-glucosidase, and the anti-inflammatory activity was analyzed by testing their ability to inhibit hyaluronidase and lipoxygenase. Thus, the concentrated extracts of T. foenum-graecum showed high inhibitory activity on a-amylase-IC50 = 3.22 ± 0.3 µg/mL-(compared with acarbose-IC50 = 3.5 ± 0.18 µg/mL) and high inhibitory activity on LOX-IC50 = 19.69 ± 0.52 µg/mL (compared with all standards used). The concentrated extract of A. vulgaris showed increased α-amylase inhibition activity-IC50 = 8.57 ± 2.31 µg/mL-compared to acarbose IC50 = 3.5 ± 0.18 µg/mL. The concentrated extract of A. absinthium showed pronounced LOX inhibition activity-IC50 = 19.71 ± 0.79 µg/mL-compared to ibuprofen-IC50 = 20.19 ± 1.25 µg/mL.

Activity-guided isolation and identification of antiherpesvirus and antineuroinflammatory active terpenoids from Artemisia vulgaris L. based on the LC-MS/MS molecular network.

Seven undescribed terpenoids, comprising two guaiane-type sesquiterpene lactones (1-2), one eucalyptol-type sesquiterpene (3), one monolactone (4), and three triterpenoids (5-7), along with 35 known analogues, were isolated from the leaves of Artemisia vulgaris L. Their structures and configurations were analysed by extensive spectroscopy. Compounds 1, 2, 8-10, 13, 17, 19, and 28 showed antineuroinflammatory activity, and compounds 1 and 2 revealed remarkable antineuroinflammatory effects, with an IC50 value of 2.2 ± 0.1 and 1.6 ± 0.1 µM, more potent than the positive control drug dexamethasone. Furthermore, compounds 1 and 2 could inhibit the expression of BV-2 inflammatory genes (IL-6, TNF-α, IL-1ß) induced by LPS, downregulate the critical inflammatory protein production of iNOS and COX-2. The anti-HSV-1 activity screening revealed that compounds 28, 29 and 38 exhibited inhibitory activity against HSV-1 proliferation. Particularly, compound 28 exhibited a significant anti-HSV-1 effect, inhibiting the proliferation of HSV-1 and acyclovir-resistant strains of HSV-1/153 and HSV-1/Blue. Our research identified compounds 1, 2, and 28 from A. vulgaris., which could potentially serve as lead compounds for antineuroinflammatory and anti-HSV-1 activities.

Artemisia vulgaris anthelmintic activities to ova and adult stages of Fasciola gigantica in vitro.

Background and Aim: Fasciolosis due to Fasciola gigantica is endemic to tropical countries and Fasciola hepatica in temperate climates, highly detrimental to livestock and known as foodborne zoonotic diseases. The strategic control of the disease is mainly the use of chemical anthelmintic. This study aimed to evaluate the anthelmintic properties of Artemisia vulgaris extract on the ova and adult stages of F. gigantica. Materials and Methods: Samples were collected from the Ampel Abbatoir, Boyolali District, Central Java, Indonesia. The ova from 20-gallbladders of cattle which were naturally infected with F. gigantica and 270 living F. gigantica worms were used in this study. The ovicidal assay was performed by incubating the ova with A. vulgaris in different concentrations, that is, 5%, 2.5%, and 1.25% for 5, 9, 11, 14, and 16 days. The efficacies were evaluated by quantification of ova degeneration during developmental stages in different time points and egg-hatch assay. The flukicidal effects were observed by mortality assay in 5, 10, 20, 40, 80, 160, 320, and 640 min incubations followed by scanning electron microscopy for surface morphology and histology of the fluke's transversal sections. Results: The concentration of 5% A. vulgaris showed the strongest ovicidal activities. The percentage of hatching ova on day 16 at concentrations of 5%, 2.5%, and 1.25% were 3.33%, 6.67%, and 16.67%. These ova hatch assay showed a significant reduction (p < 0.001) compared to untreated control. The flukicidal effect was significant (p < 0.001) at a concentration of 20%, with a mortality rate reaching 66.67% in the 40 min of incubation time. The surface properties of the adult worms, including the spine, tegument, acetabulum, intestine, and vitelline follicles, were disintegrated. Conclusion: The results showed that A. vulgaris has the potential ovicidal and flukicidal properties to F. gigantica. The active compounds remained necessary to be elucidated further and its modes of action would be interesting to be predicted by molecular docking modeling.

Polysaccharide-Based Hydrogel from Seeds of Artemisia vulgaris: Extraction Optimization by Box-Behnken Design, pH-Responsiveness, and Sustained Drug Release.

The current research work focuses on the extraction and optimization of the hydrogel (AVM) from the seeds of Artemisia vulgaris using Box-Behnken design-response surface methodology (BBD-RSM). The AVM was obtained through a hot water extraction process. The influence of different factors, including pH (U = 4 to 10), temperature (V = 25 to 110 °C), seed/water ratio, i.e., S/W ratio (W = 1/10 to 1/70 w/v), and seed/water contact time, i.e., S/W time (X = 1 to 12 h) on the yield of AVM was evaluated. The p-value for the analysis of variance (ANOVA) was found to be <0.001, indicating that the yield of AVM mainly depended on the abovementioned factors. The highest yield of AVM, i.e., 15.86%, was found at a pH of 7.12, temperature of 80.04 °C, S/W ratio of 1/33.24 w/v, and S/W time of 8.73 h according to Design-Expert Software. The study of the pH-responsive behavior of AVM in tablet form (formulation AVT3) revealed that AVM is a pH-responsive material with significantly high swelling at pH 7.4. However, less swelling was witnessed at pH 1.2. Moreover, AVM was found to be a sustained release material for esomeprazole at pH 7.4 for 12 h. The drug release from AVT3 was according to the super case-II transport mechanism and zero-order kinetics.

Ethanolic Extract of Artemisia vulgaris Leaf Promotes Apoptotic Cell Death in Non-Small-Cell Lung Carcinoma A549 Cells through Inhibition of the Wnt Signaling Pathway.

The Wnt signaling pathway is reported to be associated with lung cancer progression, metastasis and drug resistance, and thus it is an important therapeutic target for lung cancer. Plants have been shown as reservoirs of multiple potential anticancer agents. In the present investigation, the ethanolic leaf extract of Artemisia vulgaris (AvL-EtOH) was initially analyzed by means of gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) to identify the important phytochemical constituents. The GC-MS analysis of AvL-EtOH exhibited 48 peaks of various secondary metabolites such as terpenoids, flavonoids, carbohydrates, coumarins, amino acids, steroids, proteins, phytosterols, and diterpenes. It was found that the treatment with increasing doses of AvL-EtOH suppressed the proliferation and migration of lung cancer cells. Furthermore, AvL-EtOH induced prominent nuclear alteration along with a reduction in mitochondrial membrane potential and increased ROS (reactive oxygen species) generation in lung cancer cells. Moreover, AvL-EtOH-treated cells exhibited increased apoptosis, demonstrated by the activation of caspase cascade. AvL-EtOH also induced downregulation of Wnt3 and ß-catenin expression along with cell cycle protein cyclin D1. Thus, the results of our study elucidated the potential of bioactive components of Artemisia vulgaris in the therapeutic management of lung cancer cells.

Antiviral activities of Artemisia vulgaris L. extract against herpes simplex virus.

BACKGROUND: Artemisia vulgaris L. is often used as a traditional Chinese medicine with the same origin of medicine and food. Its active ingredient in leaves have multiple biological functions such as anti-inflammatory, antibacterial and insecticidal, anti-tumor, antioxidant and immune regulation, etc. It is confirmed that folium Artemisiae argyi has obvious anti-HBV activity, however, its antiviral activity and mechanism against herpesvirus or other viruses are not clear. Hence, we aimed to screen the crude extracts (Fr.8.3) isolated and extracted from folium A. argyi to explore the anti-herpesvirus activity and mechanism. METHODS: The antiherpes virus activity of Fr.8.3 was mainly characterized by cytopathic effects, real-time PCR detection of viral gene replication and expression levels, western blotting, viral titer determination and plaque reduction experiments. The main components of Fr.8.3 were identified by using LC-MS, and selected protein targets of these components were investigated through molecular docking. RESULTS: We collected and isolated a variety of A. vulgaris L. samples from Tangyin County, Henan Province and then screened the A. vulgaris L. leaf extracts for anti-HSV-1 activity. The results of the plaque reduction test showed that the crude extract of A. vulgaris L.-Fr.8.3 had anti-HSV-1 activity, and we further verified the anti-HSV-1 activity of Fr.8.3 at the DNA, RNA and protein levels. Moreover, we found that Fr.8.3 also had a broad spectrum of antiviral activity. Finally, we explored its anti-HSV-1 mechanism, and the results showed that Fr.8.3 exerted an anti-HSV-1 effect by acting directly on the virus itself. Then, the extracts were screened on HSV-1 surface glycoproteins and host cell surface receptors for potential binding ability by molecular docking, which further verified the phenotypic results. LC-MS analysis showed that 1 and 2 were the two main components of the extracts. Docking analysis suggested that compounds from extract 1 might similarly cover the binding domain between the virus and the host cells, thus interfering with virus adhesion to cell receptors, which provides new ideas and insights for clinical drug development for herpes simplex virus type 1. CONCLUSION: We found that Fr.8.3 has anti-herpesvirus and anti-rotavirus effects. The main 12 components in Fr.8.3 were analyzed by LC-MS, and the protein targets were finally predicted through molecular docking, which showed that alkaloids may play a major role in antiviral activity.

Phytochemical Composition and Antimicrobial Activity of Essential Oil from the Leaves of Artemisia vulgaris L.

Artemisia vulgaris is an enormously useful aromatic plant known for its insecticidal, antifungal, parasiticidal, and medicinal values. The main aim of this study is to investigate phytochemical contents and the potential antimicrobial activities of Artemisia vulgaris essential oil (AVEO) from the fresh leaves of A. vulgaris grown in Manipur. The AVEO isolated by hydro-distillation from A. vulgaris were analyzed by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry and solid-phase microextraction-GC/MS to describe their volatile chemical profile. There were 47 components identified in the AVEO by GC/MS, amounting to 97.66% of the total composition, while 97.35% were identified by SPME-GC/MS. The prominent compounds present in AVEO analyzed by direct injection and SPME methods are found to be eucalyptol (29.91% and 43.70%), sabinene (8.44% and 8.86%), endo-Borneol (8.24% and 4.76%), 2,7-Dimethyl-2,6-octadien-4-ol (6.76% and 4.24%), and 10-epi-γ-Eudesmol (6.50% and 3.09%). The consolidated component in the leaf volatiles comes to the terms of monoterpenes. The AVEO exhibits antimicrobial activities against fungal pathogens such as Sclerotium oryzae (ITCC 4107) and Fusarium oxysporum (MTCC 9913) and bacterial cultures such as Bacillus cereus (ATCC 13061) and Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 25923). The percent inhibition of AVEO against the S. oryzae and F. oxysporum was found up to 50.3% and 33.13%, respectively. The MIC and MBC of the essential oil tested for B. cereus and S. aureus were found to be (0.3%, 0.63%) and (0.63%, 2.5%), respectively. Finally, the results revealed that the AVEO characterized by the hydro-distillation and SPME extraction yielded the same chemical profile and showed potent antimicrobial activities. Further research into A. vulgaris's antibacterial properties can be performed in order to use it as a source for natural antimicrobial medications.

Two new eudesmane sesquiterpene glucosides from the aerial parts of Artemisia vulgaris.

Using combined chromatographic methods, two new sesquiterpene glucosides, vulgarosides A (1) and B (2), and two known analogs ainsliaside E (3) and pumilaside A (4) were isolated from the aerial parts of Artemisia vulgaris. Their chemical structures were established by spectroscopic methods, including one and two-dimensional nuclear magnetic resonance (1 D and 2 D-NMR) spectroscopy and high-resolution electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (HR-ESI-MS). In addition, their cytotoxicity on five human cancer cell lines, including KB (epidermoid carcinoma), HepG2 (hepatocarcinoma), MCF7 (breast carcinoma), SK-Mel-2 (melanoma), and LNCaP (prostate cancer) was also evaluated by the SRB assay. However, none of the tested eudesmane sesquiterpene glycosides showed significant cytotoxicity (IC50>100 µM).

In vitro inhibition of biofilm and virulence factor production in azole-resistant strains of Candida albicans isolated from diabetic foot by Artemisia vulgaris stabilized tin (IV) oxide nanoparticles.

The advent of nanotechnology has been instrumental in the development of new drugs with novel targets. Recently, metallic nanoparticles have emerged as potential candidates to combat the threat of drug-resistant infections. Diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs) are one of the dreadful complications of diabetes mellitus due to the colonization of numerous drug-resistant pathogenic microbes leading to biofilm formation. Biofilms are difficult to treat due to limited penetration and non-specificity of drugs. Therefore, in the current investigation, SnO2 nanoparticles were biosynthesized using Artemisia vulgaris (AvTO-NPs) as a stabilizing agent and were characterized using ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis) spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX). Furthermore, the efficacy of AvTO-NPs against biofilms and virulence factors of drug-resistant Candida albicans strains isolated from DFUs was assessed. AvTO-NPs displayed minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) ranging from 1 mg/mL to 2 mg/mL against four strains of C. albicans. AvTO-NPs significantly inhibited biofilm formation by 54.8%-87%, germ tube formation by 72%-90%, cell surface hydrophobicity by 68.2%-82.8%, and exopolysaccharide (EPS) production by 69%-86.3% in the test strains at respective 1/2xMIC. Biosynthesized NPs were effective in disrupting established mature biofilms of test strains significantly. Elevated levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation in the AvTO-NPs-treated C. albicans could be the possible cause of cell death leading to biofilm inhibition. The useful insights of the present study could be exploited in the current line of treatment to mitigate the threat of biofilm-related persistent DFUs and expedite wound healing.

Artemisia vulgaris L., Artemisia alba Turra and their constituents reduce mitomycin C-induced genomic instability in human peripheral blood lymphocytes in vitro.

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of aqueous and acetone extracts from Artemisia vulgaris L. (AV) and Artemisia alba Turra (AA), and two major polyphenols compounds (3,5-dihydroxybenzoic acid and quercetin-3-O-glucopyranoside) presented in both extracts of the plants against mitomycin C (MMC)-induced genomic instability. Genomic instability was measured using cytokinesis block micronucleus (MN) assay in human peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBLs) in vitro by analyzing two biomarkers - MN and nuclear division index (NDI). Extracts were tested in a concentration-dependent manner (10-250 µg/mL), while 3,5-dihydroxybenzoic acid and quercetin-3-O-glucopyranoside were tested in three different concentrations, in combination with 0.5 µg/mL of MMC. Aqueous and acetone extracts obtained from both plants significantly reduced MMC-induced MN frequency in PBLs, compared to positive control cells (p < 0.05). Extracts from AV did not affect NDI, whereas the concentrations of 10-100 µg/mL of aqueous and acetone AA extracts significantly elevated MMC-decreased NDI values in comparison to positive control cells (p < 0.05). Combined treatment of 3,5-dihydroxybenzoic acid and MMC showed a significant reduction of MMC-induced MN frequency, while quercetin-3-O-glucopyranoside increased MN frequency compared to positive control cells (p < 0.05). Both compounds decreased NDI values but only at the highest tested concentration of quercetin-3-O-glucopyranoside it was of greater significance. In conclusion, all extracts from AV and AA and 3,5-dihydroxybenzoic acid showed protective effect, whereby aqueous AA demonstrated the highest protective effect on MMC- induced genomic instability, while quercetin-3-O-glucopyranoside showed co-mutagen effect.

Artemisia vulgaris inhibits BCR/ABL and promotes apoptosis in chronic myeloid leukemia cells.

In previous research, the authors demonstrated that the methanol extract of Artemisia vulgaris (AVM) has the ability to inhibit chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) cell proliferation. The aim of the present study was to determine and clarify the mechanism of action of AVM. BCR/ABL activation is present in >90% of CML cases. As a result, cells expressing different forms of BCR/ABL were recruited for the present study, including K562 (human wild-type) or TCCY-T315I (human imatinib-resistant) and the Ba/F3-(T315I/E279K/Y253H) (mouse BCR/ABL point mutation-transfected cells). The results revealed that AVM inhibited the phosphorylation of BCR/ABL and their subsequent molecular signals including AKT and MAPK activation. AVM induced the release of cleaved PARP and cleaved caspase-3 caused apoptosis and inhibited the viability of these cells. Interestingly, AVM appeared to be more sensitive to imatinib-resistant (T315I, Y253H, and E279K) than wild-type BCR/ABL cells, indicating its potential to overcome imatinib-resistant severe issues in CML. Moreover, the effects of various sub-fractions of AVM were then investigated in order to determine the optimal solvent for the identification of anticancer bioactive compounds. The results demonstrated that the ethyl acetate and chloroform fractions were more effective than the n-hexane and water fractions. It is thus concluded that AVM inhibits the activity of BCR/ABL and their subsequent molecular signals, including AKT and MAPK, resulting in cytotoxicity via apoptosis.

Alleviating effects of essential oil from Artemisia vulgaris on enteritis in zebrafish via modulating oxidative stress and inflammatory response.

Artemisia vulgaris (A. vulgaris) is a traditional Chinese medicine widely distributed in China and contains many bioactive compounds with pharmacological effects. However, the anti-inflammatory effects and mechanism of essential oil from A. vulgaris on enteritis in fish are still unclear. In this study, in order to elucidate the underlying mechanism of essential oil from A. vulgaris on zebrafish enteritis, zebrafish were used for establishing animal models to observe the histopathological changes of intestines, determine the activities of immune-related enzymes and oxidative stress indicators, and the mRNA expression of genes in MyD88/TRAF6/NF-KB signaling pathways. The results showed that different doses of A. vulgaris essential oil could effectively alleviate zebrafish enteritis in a dose- and time-dependent manner by improving the intestinal histopathological damage, decreasing the intestinal oxidative stress, repairing the intestinal immune ability, changing the expression levels of IL-1ß, IL-10 and genes in MyD88/TRAF6/NF-κB pathway. In addition, co-treatment with oxazolone and MyD88 inhibitor could alleviate the morphological damage, the induction of oxidative stress, and the levels of immune-related enzymes and the mRNA expression of genes in MyD88/TRAF6/NF-κB signaling pathway. Moreover, essential oil from A. vulgaris had more significantly therapeutic effects on enteritis of male zebrafish than that of female zebrafish. This result will clarify the therapeutic effect and anti-inflammatory mechanism of essential oil from A. vulgaris on zebrafish enteritis, and provide a theoretical basis for further research on the rationality of A. vulgaris to replace feed antibiotics.

Artemisia Species with High Biological Values as a Potential Source of Medicinal and Cosmetic Raw Materials.

Artemisia species play a vital role in traditional and contemporary medicine. Among them, Artemisia abrotanum, Artemisia absinthium, Artemisia annua, Artemisia dracunculus, and Artemisia vulgaris are the most popular. The chemical composition and bioactivity of these species have been extensively studied. Studies on these species have confirmed their traditional applications and documented new pharmacological directions and their valuable and potential applications in cosmetology. Artemisia ssp. primarily contain sesquiterpenoid lactones, coumarins, flavonoids, and phenolic acids. Essential oils obtained from these species are of great biological importance. Extracts from Artemisia ssp. have been scientifically proven to exhibit, among others, hepatoprotective, neuroprotective, antidepressant, cytotoxic, and digestion-stimulating activities. In addition, their application in cosmetic products is currently the subject of several studies. Essential oils or extracts from different parts of Artemisia ssp. have been characterized by antibacterial, antifungal, and antioxidant activities. Products with Artemisia extracts, essential oils, or individual compounds can be used on skin, hair, and nails. Artemisia products are also used as ingredients in skincare cosmetics, such as creams, shampoos, essences, serums, masks, lotions, and tonics. This review focuses especially on elucidating the importance of the most popular/important species of the Artemisia genus in the cosmetic industry.

Sesquiterpenoids and triterpenoids with anti-inflammatory effects from Artemisia vulgaris L.

In this study, eight undescribed sesquiterpenoids (artemvulactone A-G and artemvulemdiol A), and two undescribed triterpenoids, (3S)-dammar-20,25-diene-3-hydroxy-24-one and (3S,23E)-dammar-20,23-diene-25- methoxy-3-ol were isolated from the leaves of Artemisia vulgaris L., together with ten known sesquiterpenoids and three known triterpenoids. The structures of these undescribed terpenoids were determined by extensive spectroscopy methods, including 1D and 2D-NMR, HRESIMS, IR, UV, X-ray diffraction, and ECD. The absolute configurations of artemvulactone A, artemvulactone D, and artemvulactone E were determined by X-ray diffraction (Cu Kα). All isolates were evaluated for their anti-inflammatory efficacy by detecting the expression of inflammatory mediator NO in LPS-induced RAW264.7 cells, and the results indicated that artemvulactone E exhibited significant anti-inflammatory effect with an IC50 value of 0.9 ± 0.2 µM. Furthermore, artemvulactone E could reduce LPS-induced COX-2 protein expression dose-dependently by western blotting experiments.

Sesquiterpene lactones from Artemisia vulgaris L. as potential NO inhibitors in LPS-induced RAW264.7 macrophage cells.

Twelve new guaianolide sesquiterpene lactones (1-12), along with ten known analogs (13-22) were isolated from an EtOH extract of the dried aerial parts of Artemisia vulgaris L. The new structures were elucidated via abundant spectroscopic data analyses (HRESIMS, IR, 1D, and 2D NMR), and the absolute configurations of these compounds were determined by X-ray crystallography and ECD calculations. The compounds (1-22) were identified as guaiane-type sesquiterpenes with characteristic α-methylene-γ-lactone and α,ß-unsaturated carbonyl moieties. All compounds were tested for their inhibitory activity against NO production in lipopolysaccharide-stimulated RAW264.7 macrophages. The isolated sesquiterpenoids dose-dependently exhibited an NO production inhibitory activity by inhibiting the expression of inducible NO oxidase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) with IC50 values ranging from 1.0 to 3.6 µM. The inhibitory effect on the NO production of the compounds (1-4 and 6-22) is better than that of the positive control (dexamethasone). The different substitutions of compounds on C-8 influence anti-inflammatory effects, as evidenced by the in silico analysis of related binding interactions of new compounds (1-12) with iNOS.

Comparative study of the genotoxic activity of Artemisia vulgaris L. and Artemisia alba Turra extracts in vitro.

In this study, the genotoxic activity of acetone and aqueous extracts of two species of genus Artemisia (Artemisia vulgaris L. and Artemisia alba Turra), and possible role of their polyphenolic composition in the observed activities were investigated. Polyphenolic contents were evaluated by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC-PDA), while the genotoxic activity was tested using cytokinesis block micronucleus (CBMN) assay on human peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBLs) in vitro. HPLC-PDA showed that both A. alba extracts were richer in polyphenolic contents than A. vulgaris extracts. The acetone A. alba extract was the richest of polyphenolic content where we detected six phenolic acids and two flavonoids. CBMN assay showed that aqueous extract of A. vulgaris significantly increased micronucleus (MN) frequency in the PBLs treated with all tested concentrations (10, 50, 100, and 250 µg/mL), while A. alba did not significantly affect the mean MN frequency. Further, both acetone extracts were genotoxic in all tested concentrations, except the lowest tested (10 µg/mL) of A. alba. All tested extracts affected the nuclear division index (NDI) except the aqueous A. alba extract (p < 0.05). Based on our results, we can conclude that both acetone and aqueous A. vulgaris extracts and A. alba acetone extract were genotoxic in PBLs in vitro. A. alba aqueous extract was not genotoxic and cytotoxic in tested concentrations. We suggest that the aqueous extract of A. alba can be used in treatment, which has been confirmed by traditional medicine, but with a high dose of caution and not in high concentrations.