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.

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.

[Revision to origin of northern Artemisia argyi in Compendium of Materia Medica (Bencao gangmu)].

The origin of northern Artemisia argyi recorded in Compendium of Materia Medica(Bencao gangmu) is Fudao(Chinese characters) in Tangyin county, While there is only Fudao(Chinese characters) instead of Fudao(Chinese characters). Whether indeed Fudao(Chinese characters) is Fudao(Chinese characters)? By reviewing the genuine evolution of A. argyi, doing textual research on Fudao(Chinese characters) and combing with field survey data of national census of Chinese Materia Medica resources, this paper concluded that the word Fudao(Chinese characters) firstly emerged in Figure Canon of Chinese Materia Medica(Bencao tujing) of Susong in Song dynasty and was applied in later generations, but the implication was not clear, then emerged both Tangyin and Fudao(Chinese characters) in Compendium of Materia Medica(Bencao gangmu). The place Fudao(Chinese characters) is one of the graves of Bianque, that existed from Shang and Zhou dynasty and never changed until now, the A. argyi of Tangyin was famous from the grave of Bianque in Fudao(Chinese characters), which could infer that Lishizhen considered Fudao (Chinese characters) was Fudao(Chinese characters) indeed, and the origin of northern A. argyi was Fudao(Chinese characters) in Tangyin county.

Reduction in the number of infective Trichinella spiralis larvae in mice by use of homeopathic drugs.

BACKGROUND: Trichinellosis caused by the gastrointestinal nematode Trichinella spiralis occurs in humans, domestic animals and wild animals. It is difficult to control the muscle phase of the parasite. Homeopathic drugs such as Cina and Santoninum have anthelmintic properties. We have observed that in material doses, the homeopathic drug Podophyllum also has nematotoxic properties. We have also observed that homeopathic potency can influence the water permeability of cells. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to investigate whether potentized homeopathic drugs such as Cina 30, Santoninum 30 and Podophyllum mother tincture can affect the muscle phase of the parasite T. spiralis in mice. Another objective was to see whether trichinellosis and its treatment with the 3 named homeopathic drugs could alter the water content in the muscle tissue of mice. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Cina 30 and Santoninum 30 were prepared from the mother tincture of the flowering tops of Artemisia nilagirica and its active principle santonin, in each case by successive dilution (1:100) with 90% ethanol and sonication in 30 steps following the single glass method (K30). Ethanol 30 was prepared by successive dilution of 90% ethanol with 90% ethanol (1:100) followed by sonication in 30 steps. In each step, the dilution was sonicated at 20 KHz for 30 s. We have observed before that sonication is a more uniform, measurable and effective process of mechanical agitation of a liquid than manual succussion. Experimentally infected mice were orally treated with an aqueous Podophyllum suspension at 60 mg/kg/day. Each potentized drug was diluted 1:20 with distilled water and administered orally at 0.05 ml/mouse/day. Each mouse was inoculated with T. spiralis larvae at a dose of 200 larvae/mouse by esophageal intubation. Treatment was started on day 7 post-infection and continued for 120 days. After completion of treatment, the mice were sacrificed and the larvae were extracted from muscles by HCl-pepsin digestion. The water content of the muscles was measured by determining the difference between fresh weight and dry weight of the tissue. RESULTS: Podophyllum Theta, Cina 30 and Santoninum 30 reduced the larval population in the studied mice by 68.14%, 84.10% and 81.20%, respectively, as compared to the untreated control group. Ethanol 30 achieved no significant reduction in the larval population compared to the untreated control group. The water content of the muscle tissue in the untreated control group and the Podophyllum-treated groups was significantly higher than in the Ethanol 30-, Cina 30- and Santoninum 30-treated groups. CONCLUSIONS: (1) Podophyllum Theta, Cina 30 and Santoninum 30 were effective in the muscle phase of T. spiralis infection and significantly reduced the larval population in the treated mice. The potencies were more effective than the mother tincture, an effect which was not due to the medium ethanol. (2) The potencies significantly reduced the water content of the muscle tissue which might have affected the larvae. The effect of Podophyllum Theta might be due to the direct toxic effect of the drug on the larvae.

Effects of Cina on root-knot disease of mulberry.

Root-knot disease of mulberry is caused by the nematode Meloidogyne incognita. It has important economic implications for sericulture. The homeopathic medicines, Cina mother tincture (MT) and potentised Cina 200C, prepared from the flowering meristems of Artemisia nilagirica (Clarke) Pamp, were applied by foliar spray on mulberry (Morus alba L.) infected with M. incognita juveniles (J2). Pretreatment (ending 6 days before inoculation) and post-treatment (starting 6 days after inoculation) schedules were tested. The two uninoculated control batches were treated with the same procedure with Cina MT and Cina 200C. Both pre- and post-treatment significantly reduced nematode infection in terms of root gall number and nematode population in root. All the treated plants showed improved growth in terms of fresh biomass of shoot and root, length of shoot and root, number of leaves, leaf surface area, root and leaf-protein content. Cina 200C is more effective than Cina MT in all respects of nematode control as well as growth of the test plants. Pretreatments show slightly better effects than the post-treatments. It is interesting that inoculated and treated plants not only are less affected by nematodes but also have a better growth than uninoculated, untreated control.

A case of tuberous sclerosis treated with Artemisia vulgaris

A two-year-old boy suffering from tuberous sclerosis is described. His salaam spasms had not been controlled by a combination of sodium valporate and nitrazepam, but decreased and finally ceased after medication with Artemisia 30, despite nitrazepam having been discontinued during this treatment