€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€ *****JOURNAL OF ALLERGY AND CLINICAL IMMUNOLOGY***** Jaggi KS Gangal SV Isolation and identification of pollen allergens of Artemisia scoparia. In: J Allergy Clin Immunol (1987 Oct) 80(4):562-72 ISSN: 0091-6749 The allergenic proteins of Artemisia scoparia pollen were separated and identified with ammonium sulfate precipitation, ion-exchange chromatography, gel filtration, and RAST-inhibition techniques. The important allergenic component Artemisia VI b that constitutes 29% of total protein in the extract was purified to homogeneity. It was found to be an acidic protein with isoelectric point 3.8 and molecular weight of 14,300. It was rich in carbohydrate, but the carbohydrate portion did not appear to be important for allergenicity. In the crossed immunoelectrophoresis reference pattern of the whole pollen extract, 37 precipitin lines could be identified on the anodic side, whereas Artemisia VI b could be observed as a single precipitin line. Immunologically, the whole pollen extract of A. scoparia demonstrated shared antigenic and allergenic determinants with Ageratum conyzoides-pollen extract. The use of fast protein liquid chromatography in partial purification of allergenic components is also discussed. €€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€ *****ALLERGOLOGIA ET IMMUNOPATHOLOGIA***** Olsen OT Frolund L Heinig J Jacobsen L Svendsen UG A double-blind, randomized study investigating the efficacy and specificity of immunotherapy with Artemisia vulgaris or Phleum pratense/betula verrucosa. In: Allergol Immunopathol (Madr) (1995 Mar-Apr) 23(2):73-8 ISSN: 0301-0546 This study investigated the specificity and efficacy of immunotherapy with Artemisia vulgaris (Artemisia) extract. We studied 25 patients with a more than two year lasting history of seasonal rhinoconjunctivitis and who had only two clinically important allergies, either to Artemisia and Betula verrucosa (Betula) or to Artemisia and Phleum pratense (Phleum). Patient selection was randomized and evaluation of results was conducted in double blind fashion. Twenty patients completed two years of specific immunotherapy. Nine patients were treated with extracts of Artemisia and 11 with extracts of either Betula (n = 3) or Phleum (n = 8). Treatment with Artemisia was followed by a significant decrease in skin sensitivity (p < 0.05) and eye sensitivity (p < 0.01) to Artemisia but not to Betula/phleum. No significant decrease was observed in medicine consumption or symptom scores. Patients treated with Betula or Phleum experienced a significant decrease in skin sensitivity to Betula or Phleum (p < 0.001), and eye sensitivity to Betula or Phleum (p < 0.05), but not to Artemisia and had significant decreases in medicine and symptom scores (p < 0.05) in Betula/phleum seasons but not in the Artemisia season. The treatment was both effective and specific with the one unexplained exception that both patient groups (Artemisia and Betula/Phleum) decreased their skin sensitivity to Artemisia. €€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€ *****AMERICAN JOURNAL OF CHINESE MEDICINE***** Tariq M Mossa JS Al-Yahya MA Parmar NS Ageel AM Evaluation of Artemisia inculta for anti-inflammatory activity in rats. In: Am J Chin Med (1987) 15(3-4):127-32 ISSN: 0192-415X The ethanolic extract of Artemisia inculta has been screened for anti- inflammatory, analgesic and antipyretic activities on suitable experimental models. It has been found to produce significant inhibition of carrageenan induced paw edema and cotton pellet induced granuloma pouch and a significant decrease in the prothrombin time in rats. It failed to produce any analgesic or antipyretic activity on the hot plate reaction time and yeast induced hypyrexia tests in mice. It also did not produce any effect on the platelet aggregation and fibrinogen level in the rats. Amongst the phytoconstituents detected in this plant, flavonoids may be responsible for the observed anti-inflammatory effect of the ethanolic extract. €€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€ *****ASIAN PACIFIC JOURNAL OF ALLERGY AND IMMUNOLOGY***** Leng X Ye ST One year observation of immunotherapy for Artemisia hay fever in China: a clinical and immunological study. In: Asian Pac J Allergy Immunol (1987 Dec) 5(2):167-72 ISSN: 0125-877X A controlled trial of one year immunotherapy was conducted in 50 Artemisia-sensitive hay fever patients (treatment group). From October 1985 to July 1986, all of the treatment group patients received one year regular injection of Artemisia pollen allergen extract totalling 30,000 protein nitrogen units (PNU). For these patients, symptom score indices of the posttreatment 1986 pollination season were compared with those from the pretreatment 1985 season and also with the scores of a similar group of 30 Artemisia-sensitive patients treated only with symptomatic medications during the 1986 season (control group). The 1986 symptom scores to the treatment group were significantly improved and the effective rate was 78%. Immunological study with the Human Basophil Degranulation Test (HBDT) showed a significant decrease in degranulation reactions after immunotherapy. Moreover, The decline of the HBDT positive rate in the treatment group was significantly greater in patients with improved symptoms than patients with unchanged symptoms. No difference was observed in basophil degranulation in those patients tested with a pollen-free plant extract, which was not applied in immunotherapy. The results suggested that immunotherapy could induce desensitization of basophils and that the induction might be allergen specific. Basophil desensitization may play an important role in the mechanism of immunotherapy. €€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€ *****BLOOD COAGULATION AND FIBRINOLYSIS***** Hayakawa Y Hayashi T Hayashi T Niiya K Sakuragawa N Selective activation of heparin cofactor II by a sulfated polysaccharide isolated from the leaves of Artemisia princeps. In: Blood Coagul Fibrinolysis (1995 Oct) 6(7):643-9 ISSN: 0957-5235 While checking anticoagulant activities in crude fractions from Wakan- Yakus (traditional herbal drugs), we detected antithrombin activity in the polysaccharide fraction of the leaves of Artemisia princeps Pamp. A sulfated polysaccharide purified from the crude fractions by ion-exchange chromatography on DEAE-cellulose and gel filtration on Sepharose 6B potentiated the heparin cofactor II (HC II)-dependent antithrombin activity but not the antithrombin activity of antithrombin III (AT III). The polysaccharide enhanced the HC II- thrombin reaction more than 6000-fold. The apparent second-order rate constant of thrombin inhibition by HC II increased from 3.8 x 10(4) (in the absence of the polysaccharide) to 2.5 x 10(8) M-1 min-1 in the presence of 25-125 micrograms/ml of the polysaccharide. In human plasma, the polysaccharide accelerated the formation of thrombin-HC II complex. The stimulating effect on HC II-dependent antithrombin activity was almost totally abolished by treatment with chondroitinase AC I, heparinase or heparitinase, while chondroitinase ABC or chondroitinase AC II had little or no effect. These results suggest that the polysaccharide is a glycosaminoglycan-like material with properties that are quite distinct from heparin or dermatan sulfate. Registry Numbers: EC 3.4.21.5 (Thrombin) EC 4.2.2.- (Chondroitin Lyases) 81604-65-1 (Heparin Cofactor II) 9000-94-6 (Antithrombin III) €€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€ *****CHEMICAL AND PHARMACEUTICAL BULLETIN***** Yamada H Nagai T Cyong JC Otsuka Y Mode of complement activation by acidic heteroglycans from the leaves of Artemisia princeps PAMP. In: Chem Pharm Bull (Tokyo) (1991 Aug) 39(8):2077-81 ISSN: 0009-2363 The mode of action of the anti-complementary acidic heteroglycans, AAF-IIb-2 and IIb-3 which consisted of rhamnogalacturonan core and arabinogalactan moieties, purified from the leaves of Artemisia princeps PAMP (Japanese name = Gaiyo) were investigated. The anti- complementary activities of AAF-IIb-2 and IIb-3 were reduced partially in the absence of Ca2+ ions. A marked consumption of C4 was observed to have occurred when serum was incubated with both polysaccharides in the presence of Ca2+ ions. AAF-IIb-2 showed more potent C4 consumption than IIb-3. After the incubation of the serum with AAF-IIb-2 in the absence of Ca2+ ions, a cleavage of C3 in the serum was detected by immunoelectrophoresis. AAF-IIb-2 showed more significant consumption of the complement than IIb-3 when rabbit erythrocytes were used in the assay system in the absence of Ca2+ ions. These results indicate that AAF-IIb-2 activates the complement via both the alternative and classical pathways, whereas IIb-3 mainly activates the complement via the classical pathway. The absorption of serum with Protein A-Sepharose results in a decrease of the activity of AAF-IIb-2 and IIb-3. However, the decrease of the activity was restored by the replacement of the immunoglobulin G (IgG) fraction after its recovery from the Protein A-Sepharose. These results suggest that IgG dependent mechanisms are both involved in the anti- complementary activity of AAF-IIb-2 and IIb-3. €€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€ Kaji T Kaga K Miezi N Hayashi T Ejiri N Sakuragawa N Possible mechanism of the stimulatory effect of Artemisia leaf extract on the proliferation of cultured endothelial cells: involvement of basic fibroblast growth factor. In: Chem Pharm Bull (Tokyo) (1990 Sep) 38(9):2494-7 ISSN: 0009-2363 To investigate the possible mechanism of the stimulatory effect of a hot water extract from Artemisia leaf (Artemisia princeps PANPANINI) (AFE) on the proliferation of endothelial cells, cells from bovine aorta were cultured for 72 h in RPMI1640 medium supplemented with 10% fetal calf serum in the presence of 5 micrograms/ml AFE. The AFE treatment significantly increased the cell number after culture, while in the presence of 10 micrograms/ml unfractionated heparin, AFE conversely decreased it. This implied that AFE enhanced the cell growth promotion by basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF). The accumulation of bFGF was significantly increased in the culture medium, in the low-affinity (glycosaminoglycans-binding) fraction, and in the cell extract fraction, but was unchanged in the high- affinity (receptor-binding) fraction. The contents of [35S]sulfate- labeled glycosaminoglycans in both cell layer and the medium were not increased by AFE treatment. The proliferation of A10 cells, an established cell line of smooth muscle cells from murine aorta, was not stimulated by AFE. A10 cells did not produce a significant amount of bFGF in the presence or absence of AFE. Thus, the production of bFGF was considered to be involved in AFE stimulation of cell proliferation. In conclusion, it was suggested that AFE stimulated endothelial cell proliferation by increasing the production of bFGF rather than by an increase in the number of bFGF receptors and the content of glycosaminoglycans in the cell layer. The enhanced reserve of bFGF in the low-affinity fraction of cell layer and in the medium would cause the AFE-stimulated proliferation of endothelial cells. €€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€ Kaji T Kaga K Miezi N Ejiri N Sakuragawa N A stimulatory effect of Artemisia leaf extract on the proliferation of cultured endothelial cells. In: Chem Pharm Bull (Tokyo) (1990 Feb) 38(2):538-40 ISSN: 0009-2363 To investigate the effect of the hot water extract from Artemisia leaf (Artemisia princeps Panpanini) (AFE) on the proliferation of endothelial cells, the cells from bovine aorta were cultured for up to 96 h in the presence of 1, 5, 10 or 50 micrograms/ml AFE in RPMI1640 medium supplemented with 10% fetal bovine serum. After a 72 h culture, the cell number was significantly increased by AFE at 1, 5 and 10 micrograms/ml. An increase in the cell number by 5 micrograms/ml AFE observed after a 72 or 96 h treatment. The incorporations of both [3H]thymidine and [14C]leucine by the growing cells were significantly increased by 5 micrograms/ml AFE after a 72 h treatment. In addition, the incorporation of [3H]thymidine by either growing or confluent cells was significantly increased by 50 micrograms/ml AFE after a 72 h treatment. The stimulatory activity of AFE was recognized in the low-molecular-weight fraction (molecular weight less than or equal to 10000 dalton). These results clearly indicated that AFE contained some low-molecular-weight component(s) which stimulates the proliferation of vascular endothelial cells in vitro. €€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€ *****CLINICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL PHARMACOLOGY AND PHYSIOLOGY***** Al-Waili NS Treatment of diabetes mellitus by Artemisia herba-alba extract: preliminary study. In: Clin Exp Pharmacol Physiol (1986 Jul) 13(7):569-73 ISSN: 0305-1870 Fifteen patients with diabetes mellitus were treated with Artemisia herba-alba Asso. extract (AHE). Results showed that AHE caused considerable lowering of elevated blood sugar and 14 out of 15 patients had good remission of diabetic symptoms with use of AHE. It is concluded that AHE contains material capable of reducing raised blood sugar in diabetes mellitus. No side effects were recorded during or after treatment with AHE. €€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€ *****FEBS LETTERS***** Koshihara Y Neichi T Murota S Lao A Fujimoto Y Tatsuno T Selective inhibition of 5-lipoxygenase by natural compounds isolated from Chinese plants, Artemisia rubripes Nakai. In: FEBS Lett (1983 Jul 11) 158(1):41-4 ISSN: 0014-5793 Three of four natural compounds, which are caffeic acid, eupatilin and 4'-demethyleupatilin, isolated from Chinese plant, Artemisia rubripes Nakai selectively inhibited 5-lipoxygenase of cultured mastocytoma cells. Half-inhibition doses (ID50) for caffeic acid, eupatilin and 4'-demethyleupatilin were 3.7, 14 and 18 X 10(-6) M, respectively. The inhibition by caffeic acid was non-competitive types. Prostaglandin synthase activities were little inhibited by eupatilin and 4'-demethyleupatilin, but rather stimulated by caffeic acid. The formation of leukotriene C4 and D4 by mast tumor cells was almost completely suppressed by these compounds at 10(-4) M. Registry Numbers: EC 1.13.11.- (Arachidonate Lipoxygenases) EC 1.13.11.12 (Lipoxygenase) EC 1.14.99.1 (Prostaglandin-Endoperoxide Synthase) €€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€ Bork PM Schmitz ML Kuhnt M Escher C Heinrich M Sesquiterpene lactone containing Mexican Indian medicinal plants and pure sesquiterpene lactones as potent inhibitors of transcription factor NF-kappaB. In: FEBS Lett (1997 Jan 27) 402(1):85-90 ISSN: 0014-5793 The potential inhibitory effect of 54 Mexican Indian medicinal plants on the activation of transcription factor NF-kappaB was studied. Band- shift experiments identified the ethanolic leaf extracts of Artemisia ludoviciana ssp. mexicana, Calea zacatechichi, and Polymnia maculata (all rich in sesquiterpene lactones) as inhibitors of NF-kappaB down to a concentration of 25 microg/ml. The sesquiterpene lactones isohelenin and parthenolide prevented NF-kappaB activation completely as low as 5 microM. Treatment of HeLa cells with leaf extract of A. ludoviciana ssp. mexicana, isohelenin and parthenolide prevented the induction of transcription on the IL-6 promoter. These experiments identify the eudesmanolide and germacranolide type of sesquiterpene lactones as potent non-antioxidant inhibitors of NF-kappaB. All plants active in the NF-kappaB assay also showed a delay in the onset of capillary reactions of the allantois membrane in a physiological model for anti-inflammatory activity - the HET-CAM assay. Registry Numbers: 9007-49-2 (DNA) €€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€ *****GENERAL PHARMACOLOGY***** Gilani AH Janbaz KH Preventive and curative effects of Artemisia absinthium on acetaminophen and CCl4-induced hepatotoxicity. In: Gen Pharmacol (1995 Mar) 26(2):309-15 ISSN: 0306-3623 1. Effect of aqueous-methanolic extract of Artemisia absinthium (Compositae) was investigated against acetaminophen- and CCl4-induced hepatic damage. 2. Acetaminophen produced 100% mortality at the dose of 1 g/kg in mice while pretreatment of animals with plant extract (500 mg/kg) reduced the death rate to 20%. 3. Pretreatment of rats with plant extract (500 mg/kg, orally twice daily for two days) prevented (P < 0.01) the acetaminophen (640 mg/kg) as well as CCl4 (1.5 ml/kg)-induced rise in serum transaminases (GOT and GPT). 4. Post-treatment with three successive doses of extract (500 mg/kg, 6 hr) restricted the hepatic damage induced by acetaminophen (P < 0.01) but CCl4-induced hepatotoxicity was not altered (P > 0.05). 5. Plant extract (500 mg/kg) caused significant prolongation (P < 0.05) in pentobarbital (75 mg/kg)-induced sleep as well as increased strychnine-induced lethality in mice suggestive of inhibitory effect on microsomal drug metabolizing enzymes (MDME). 6. These results indicate that the crude extract of Artemisia absinthium exhibits hepatoprotective action partly through MDME inhibitory action and validates the traditional use of plant in hepatic damage. Registry Numbers: EC 2.6.1.1 (Aspartate Aminotransferase) EC 2.6.1.2 (Alanine Aminotransferase) 103-90-2 (Acetaminophen) 56-23-5 (Carbon Tetrachloride) 57-24-9 (Strychnine) 76-74-4 (Pentobarbital) €€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€ Gilani AH Janbaz KH Protective effect of Artemisia scoparia extract against acetaminophen- induced hepatotoxicity. In: Gen Pharmacol (1993 Nov) 24(6):1455-8 ISSN: 0306-3623 1. Hepatoprotective activity of hydro-methanolic extract of Artemisia scoparia (Compositae) was investigated against acetaminophen-induced hepatic damage. 2. Acetaminophen at a dose of 1 g/kg produced 100% mortality in mice while pretreatment of animals with plant extract (150 mg/kg) reduced the death rate to 20%. 3. Acetaminophen at a dose of 640 mg/kg produced liver damage in rats as manifested by the rise in serum levels of GOT and GPT to 1528 +/- 310 and 904 +/- 261 IU/l (n = 10) respectively, compared to respective control values of 80 +/- 11 and 38 +/- 09. 4. Pretreatment of rats with plant extract (150 mg/kg) lowered significantly the respective serum GOT and GPT levels to 85 +/- 11 and 23 +/- 06. 5. These results indicate that Artemisia scoparia contains hepatoprotective constituents and this study rationalizes the traditional use of this plant in hepatobiliary disorders. Registry Numbers: EC 2.6.1.1 (Aspartate Aminotransferase) EC 2.6.1.2 (Alanine Aminotransferase) 103-90-2 (Acetaminophen) €€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€ *****INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF THE ADDICTIONS***** Kelley BD Appelt JM Appelt GD Artemisia tridentata (basin sagebrush) in the Southwestern United States of America: medicinal uses and pharmacologic implications. In: Int J Addict (1992 Mar) 27(3):347-66 ISSN: 0020-773X Artemisia tridentata (basin sagebrush) is discussed as a medicinal plant in the southwestern United States of America. Active constituents present in A. tridentata are listed, the pharmacologic implications of their presence are reviewed, and medicinal applications are tabulated. Further research to determine the status of A. tridentata as a medicinal plant is encouraged. €€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€ Qureshi S Ageel AM al-Yahya MA Tariq M Mossa JS Shah AH Preliminary toxicity studies on ethanol extracts of the aerial parts of Artemisia abyssinica and A. Inculta in mice. In: J Ethnopharmacol (1990 Feb) 28(2):157-62 ISSN: 0378-8741 Ethanolic extracts of the aerial parts of Artemisia abyssinica and A. inculta were subjected to acute toxicity observations in mice for 24 h and chronic toxicity evaluation for 3 months. External morphological changes, visceral toxicity, haematological changes, spermatogenic dysfunction and effect on body weight and vital organ weight were recorded. In both the chronically treated groups, no significant acute mortality was observed up to 3 g/kg p.o. There was no weight gain in A. abyssinica chronically-treated mice while the weight gain of A. inculta-treated animals matched that of the control group. Significant sperm damage was observed in A. abyssinica-treated mice while A. inculta failed to produce any significant spermatotoxic effect. Registry Numbers: 64-17-5 (Alcohol, Ethyl) €€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€ Moran A Martin ML Montero MJ Ortiz de Urbina AV Sevilla MA San Roman L Analgesic, antipyretic and anti-inflammatory activity of the essential oil of Artemisia caerulescens subsp. gallica. In: J Ethnopharmacol (1989 Dec) 27(3):307-17 ISSN: 0378-8741 The essential oil of Artemisia caerulescens subsp. gallica was observed to have analgesic, antipyretic and anti-inflammatory actions when administered intraperitoneally to rats and mice at doses one- fourth to one-third that of its LD50 of 1.35 ml/kg. Lysine acetylsalicylate was used as a reference compound. €€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€ Yamahara J Kobayashi G Matsuda H Katayama T Fujimura H Vascular dilatory action of Artemisia capillaris bud extracts and their active constituent. In: J Ethnopharmacol (1989 Sep) 26(2):129-36 ISSN: 0378-8741 In perfusion experiments, the acetone extract of Artemisia capillaris buds significantly inhibited the response to norepinephrine of helical strips of rabbit thoracic aorta. The acetone extract was fractionated by column chromatography to identify the active constituent. Kinetic experiments using rabbit thoracic aorta showed that 6,7-dimethoxycoumarin (scoparone) has a marked inhibitory effect on the contractions induced by norepinephrine, 5-hydroxytryptamine, histamine and angiotensin II. Like nitroglycerin, scoparone appeared to be a competitive antagonist of norepinephrine. Registry Numbers: 120-08-1 (scoparone) 51-41-2 (Norepinephrine) €€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€ Twaij HA Al-Badr AA Hypoglycemic activity of Artemisia herba alba. In: J Ethnopharmacol (1988 Dec) 24(2-3):123-6 ISSN: 0378-8741 Artemisia herba alba has been widely used in Iraqi folk medicine for the treatment of diabetes mellitus. Oral administration of an aqueous extract (0.39 g/kg) of the aerial parts of this plant to normoglycemic and to alloxan-diabetic rabbits produced significant hypoglycemic activity, which was consistent and time-dependent. €€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€ McCutcheon AR Ellis SM Hancock RE Towers GH Antifungal screening of medicinal plants of British Columbian native peoples. In: J Ethnopharmacol (1994 Dec) 44(3):157-69 ISSN: 0378-8741 One hundred methanolic plant extracts were screened for antifungal activity against 9 fungal species. Eighty-one were found to have some antifungal activity and 30 extracts showed activity against 4 or more of the fungi assayed. The extracts with the greatest fungal inhibition were prepared from Alnus rubra catkins, Artemisia ludoviciana aerial parts, Artemisia tridentata aerial parts, Geum macrophyllum roots, Mahonia aquifolium roots and Moneses uniflora aerial parts. In addition to these, extracts prepared from the following plants also exhibited antifungal activity against all 9 fungi: Asarum caudatum whole plant, Balsamorhiza sagittata roots, Empetrum nigrum branches, Fragaria chiloensis leaves, Gilia aggregata aerial parts and roots, Glehnia littoralis roots, Heracleum lanatum roots, Heuchera cylindrica roots and Rhus glabra branches. €€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€ al-Shamaony L al-Khazraji SM Twaij HA Hypoglycaemic effect of Artemisia herba alba. II. Effect of a valuable extract on some blood parameters in diabetic animals. In: J Ethnopharmacol (1994 Jul 22) 43(3):167-71 ISSN: 0378-8741 Artemisia herba alba is widely used in Iraqi folk medicine for the treatment of diabetes mellitus. However, very few scientific and medical studies were carried out to assess the efficacy and toxicity of A. herba alba. In this study feeding diabetic rats and rabbits with 0.39 g/kg body weight of the aqueous extract of the aerial parts of the plant for 2-4 weeks shows a significant reduction in blood glucose level, prevents elevation of glycosylated haemoglobin level and possesses a hypoliposis effect, in addition to the protection against body weight loss of diabetic animals. Registry Numbers: 50-71-5 (Alloxan) €€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€ Subramoniam A Pushpangadan P Rajasekharan S Evans DA Latha PG Valsaraj R Effects of Artemisia pallens Wall. on blood glucose levels in normal and alloxan-induced diabetic rats. In: J Ethnopharmacol (1996 Jan) 50(1):13-7 ISSN: 0378-8741 Oral administration of the methanol extract of the aerial parts of Artemisia pallens Wall. (used in Indian folk medicine for the treatment of diabetes mellitus) led to significant blood glucose lowering effect in glucose-fed hyperglycaemic and alloxan-induced diabetic rats. This effect of the extract was dose dependent and significant at 100 mg/kg level in glucose-fed rats. In fasted normal rats, the extract caused a moderate hypoglycaemic effect at a higher dose (1000 mg/kg). The water extract (1000 mg/kg) was inactive. Registry Numbers: 50-71-5 (Alloxan) €€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€ Marrif HI Ali BH Hassan KM Some pharmacological studies on Artemisia herba-alba (Asso.) in rabbits and mice. In: J Ethnopharmacol (1995 Nov 17) 49(1):51-5 ISSN: 0378-8741 The aqueous extract of Artemisia herba-alba Asso. (Compositae) produced an initial hyperglycaemia which was followed by hypoglycaemia in normoglycaemic and alloxan-treated rabbits and mice. The extract (0.39 g/kg) significantly increased gastrointestinal transit time and the reaction time to thermal stimuli but had no effect on the activity of alkaline phosphatase or concentrations of creatinine and urea in plasma. Histopathological examination indicated mild hydropic degeneration in hepatocytes and proximal convoluted tubules. The duodenum showed mild oedema of the substantia of the mucosal propria. The plant extract showed weak antimicrobial activity. Registry Numbers: 50-71-5 (Alloxan) €€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€ Janbaz KH Gilani AH Evaluation of the protective potential of Artemisia maritima extract on acetaminophen- and CCl4-induced liver damage. In: J Ethnopharmacol (1995 Jun 23) 47(1):43-7 ISSN: 0378-8741 The hepatoprotective activity of the aqueous-methanolic extract of Artemisia maritima was investigated against acetaminophen (paracetamol, 4-hydroxy acetanilide)- and carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)- induced hepatic damage. Acetaminophen produced 100% mortality at the dose of 1 g/kg in mice, while pretreatment of animals with the plant extract (500 mg/kg) reduced the death rate to 20%. Acetaminophen at the dose of 640 mg/kg produced liver damage in rats as manifested by the significant (P < 0.001) rise in serum levels of glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase (GOT) and glutamate pyruvate transaminase (GPT) to 1529 +/- 172 I.U./l and 904 +/- 116 I.U./l (n = 10), respectively, compared to respective control values of 87 +/- 12 I.U./l and 31 +/- 5 I.U./l. Pretreatment of rats with the plant extract (500 mg/kg) lowered significantly (P < 0.001) the respective serum GOT and GPT levels to 112 +/- 10 I.U./l and 47 +/- 11 I.U./l. Similarly, a hepatotoxic dose of CCl4 (1.5 ml/kg, orally) raised significantly (P < 0.01) the serum GOT and GPT levels to 463 +/- 122 I.U./l and 366 +/- 58 I.U./l (n = 10), respectively, compared to respective control values of 92 +/- 18 I.U./l and 35 +/- 9 I.U./l. The same dose of plant extract (500 mg/kg) was able to prevent significantly (P < 0.01) the CCl4-induced rise in serum transaminases and the estimated values of GOT and GPT were 105 +/- 29 I.U./l and 53 +/- 17 I.U./l, respectively. Moreover, it prevented CCl4-induced prolongation in pentobarbital sleeping time confirming hepatoprotectivity and validates the traditional use of this plant against liver damage. Registry Numbers: EC 2.6.1.1 (Aspartate Aminotransferase) EC 2.6.1.2 (Alanine Aminotransferase) 103-90-2 (Acetaminophen) 56-23-5 (Carbon Tetrachloride) 67-56-1 (Alcohol, Methyl) 7732-18-5 (Water) €€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€ al-Khazraji SM al-Shamaony LA Twaij HA Hypoglycaemic effect of Artemisia herba alba. I. Effect of different parts and influence of the solvent on hypoglycaemic activity. In: J Ethnopharmacol (1993 Dec) 40(3):163-6 ISSN: 0378-8741 Artemisia herba alba is widely used in Iraqi folk medicine for the treatment of diabetes mellitus. Oral administration of 0.39 g/kg body weight of the aqueous extract of the leaves or barks produced a significant reduction in blood glucose level, while the aqueous extract of roots and the methanolic extract of the aerial parts of the plant produce almost no reduction in blood glucose level. The extract of the aerial parts of the plant seem to have minimal adverse effect and high LD50 value. €€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€ *****JOURNAL OF PHARMACEUTICAL SCIENCES***** Yashphe J Segal R Breuer A Erdreich-Naftali G Antibacterial activity of Artemisia herba-alba. In: J Pharm Sci (1979 Jul) 68(7):924-5 ISSN: 0022-3549 The antibacterial activity of Artemisia herba-alba was investigated. Only its essential oil was active against some Gram-positive and Gram- negative bacteria. The essential oil was fractionated by column chromatography, and these fractions were tested for antibacterial activity. The principal component of the most active fraction was santolina alcohol. €€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€ *****MEDICAL HYPOTHESES***** Sherif A Hall RG el-Amamy M Drugs, insecticides and other agents from Artemisia. In: Med Hypotheses (1987 Jun) 23(2):187-93 ISSN: 0306-9877 Essential oils from Artemisia (wormwood) are of botanical and pharmaceutical interest. They are used in traditional remedies in many parts of the world. In pure form the oil is a narcotic poison. Nearly all species are intensively bitter and strongly aromatic. Extracted substances from the plant have an antibacterial action and some of these substances have potential use in mosquito control. Other properties include toxicity to nematodes and inhibition of seedling growth of. Several chemical compounds have been isolated and identified. €€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€ *****NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ANIMAL HEALTH QUARTERLY***** Idris UE Adam SE Tartour G The anthelmintic efficacy of Artemisia herba-alba against Haemonchus contortus infection in goats. In: Natl Inst Anim Health Q (Tokyo) (1982 Fall) 22(3):138-43 ISSN: 0027-951X The anthelmintic activity of the powdered shoots of Artemisia herba- alba was investigated in experimental haemonchosis in six Nubian goats which had been infected with single doses of 800 to 1,000 infective Haemonchus larvae. The clinical signs of caprine haemonchosis included inappetence, dullness and soft faeces and were correlated with the pathological findings. None of these changes were observed in four of the six goats following the treatment with 2, 10 or 30 g of Artemisia shoots. This successful therapy was supported by the absence of eggs in the faeces, of adult worms in the abomasum at necropsy and of significant lesions in the tissues of the goats and return of the concentrations of serum ammonia, sodium, potassium, total protein and creatinine and of the activity of aspartate aminotransferase (GOT) to normal. In two goats, treated with either 10 or 30 g of Artemisia shoots, egg production was not completely suppressed and a few adult Haemonchus worms were found in the abomasum. €€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€ *****PHARMACEUTISCH WEEKBLAD. SCIENTIFIC EDITION***** Woerdenbag HJ Lugt CB Pras N Artemisia annua L.: a source of novel antimalarial drugs. In: Pharm Weekbl [Sci] (1990 Oct 19) 12(5):169-81 ISSN: 0167-6555 Artemisia annua L. contains artemisinin, an endoperoxide sesquiterpene lactone, mainly in its leaves and inflorescences. This compound and a series of derivatives have attracted attention because of their potential value as antimalarial drugs. In this review a survey of the currently available literature data is given. It includes phytochemical aspects, such as constituents of A. annua, the artemisinin content during the development of the plant and its biosynthesis, isolation, analysis and stability. Total chemical synthesis of artemisinin is referred to, as well as structure- activity relationships of derivatives and simplified analogues. Pharmacological studies are summarized, including the mechanism of action, interaction of the antimalarial activity with other drugs, possible occurrence of resistance to artemisinin, clinical results, toxicological aspects, metabolism and pharmacokinetics. Finally, plant cell biotechnology is mentioned as a possible means to obtain plants and cell cultures with higher artemisinin contents, allowing an industrial production of pharmaceuticals containing this novel drug. €€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€ *****PHYTOCHEMISTRY***** Zhao QC Kiyohara H Yamada H Anti-complementary neutral polysaccharides from leaves of Artemisia princeps. In: Phytochemistry (1994 Jan) 35(1):73-7 ISSN: 0031-9422 The three anti-complementary neutral polysaccharides, IA-1, IB-1 and IC-1, were purified from the leaves of Artemisia princeps by anion- exchange chromatography, gel filtration and affinity chromatography. The order of the anti-complementary activity was IA-1 > IB-1 > IC-1. The polysaccharides appeared to be homogeneous from the results of gel filtration, HPLC and electrophoresis. The M(r)s of IA-1 IB-1 and IC-1 were estimated to be 56,000, 16,000, and 7000, respectively, by HPLC. IA-1 consisted mainly of arabinose (Ara), galactose (Gal) and glucose (Glc) in molar ratios of 1.8:1.0:0.9, whereas IB-1 and IC-1 were composed mainly of Ara, mannose (Man), Gal and Glc in molar ratios of 3.5:0.8:1.0:0.8 and 2.3:3.5:1.0:3.2, respectively. Methylation analysis, 13C NMR and enzymic digestion suggested that IA- 1 mainly contained alpha-L-(1-->3,5)-arabinan, beta-D-(1-->6)-linked Gal and beta-D-(1-->3)-linked Glc. IB-1 also consisted mainly of alpha-L-(1-->3,5)-arabinan and beta-D-(1-->6)-linked Gal, whereas IC- 1 was composed mainly of beta-D-(1-->4)- linked Glc and alpha- or beta-D-(1-->4)-linked Man. €€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€ Ferreira JF Janick J Immunoquantitative analysis of artemisinin from Artemisia annua using polyclonal antibodies. In: Phytochemistry (1996 Jan) 41(1):97-104 ISSN: 0031-9422 Artemisinin was derivatized to dihydroartemisinin carboxymethylether in three steps, without disturbing the peroxide bridge, and then linked to either thyroglobulin (TGB) or bovine serum albumin (BSA). The artemisinin-TGB and -BSA conjugates were injected in female New Zealand rabbits but only the artemisinin-TGB conjugate generated polyclonal antibodies. An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was developed and the specificity of the antibodies was confirmed by comparison with pre-immune serum and by competitive assays using different dilutions of artemisinin standards. Although anti- artemisinin antibodies cross-reacted with artemisitene and dihydroartemisinin at all dilutions used, cross-reaction with deoxyartemisinin, artemisinic acid, and arteannuin B occurred only at high concentrations. ELISA successfully detected artemisinin from crude extracts in concentrations as low as 1.5 ng ml-1; and was epsilon 400-fold more sensitive than the HPLC-EC. The ELISA successfully detected and quantified artemisinin in different organs of greenhouse-grown plants and in eight clones of Artemisia annua grown in tissue culture but artemisinin was overestimated owing to cross-reactivity of the antibodies with artemisinin-related compounds present in the samples. Despite overestimation of artemisinin content, the correlations between ELISA and HPLC-EC were r = 0.92 when samples were diluted 100 times, and r = 0.90 when samples were diluted 500 times, indicating that ELISA is a potential tool for screening large A. annua populations. Registry Numbers: 63968-64-9 (artemisinine) €€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€ *****PLANTA MEDICA***** Moran A Carron R Martin ML San Roman L Antiasthmatic activity of Artemisia caerulescens subsp. gallica. In: Planta Med (1989 Aug) 55(4):351-3 ISSN: 0032-0943 The bronchodilatory effect of the butanolic extract of A. caerulescens subsp. gallica on anaesthetized guinea-pigs and in vitro preparations of guinea pig trachea was studied. The extract antagonized the bronchoconstrictory action of histamine and acetylcholine. The concentration response curves obtained in the in vitro preparations were shifted to the right in the presence of beta- adrenergic blocking agents: propranolol or ICI 118.551. €€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€ Abu Zarga M Qauasmeh R Sabri S Munsoor M Abdalla S Chemical constituents of Artemisia arborescens and the effect of the aqueous extract on rat isolated smooth muscle. In: Planta Med (1995 Jun) 61(3):242-5 ISSN: 0032-0943 Phytochemical analysis of the ground aerial parts of Artemisia arborescens resulted in the isolation from the ethanolic extract of the known compounds: artemitin, arborescin, sesamin, (+)-lirioresinol beta-dimethyl ether, chrysoeriol, apigenin, beta-sitosteryl glucoside, dihydroridentin, and chrysoeriol 4-glucoside. The last six compounds are isolated from this plant for the first time. The same fraction also yielded the new eudesmanolide jordanolide (1). The effect of an aqueous extract of the plant was studied on rat isolated ileum, uterus, and urinary bladder. The aqueous extract (AE) caused a concentration-dependent reduction in the amplitude of the phasic contractions and in the tone of the ileum. On the other hand, AE caused a significant increase in the frequency as well as the amplitude of the phasic contractions and increased the tone of the isolated uterus and the urinary bladder strips. On the uterus, quinacrine, an inhibitor of the release of arachidonic acid and its metabolites, and indomethacin, a cyclooxygenase inhibitor, potentiated rather than inhibited the effects of AE on this tissue. These observations are discussed in relation to the use of the plant extract in folk medicine. €€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€ Zheng WF Tan RX Yang L Liu ZL Two flavones from Artemisia giraldii and their antimicrobial activity. In: Planta Med (1996 Apr) 62(2):160-2 ISSN: 0032-0943 Two new flavones, 4',6,7-trihydroxy-3',5'-dimethoxy-flavone (2) and 5',5- dihydroxy-3',4',8-trimethoxyflavone (3) were isolated from Artemisia giraldii and their structures were identified by spectroscopic methods. These two new flavones showed antibiotic activity against Staphylococcus aureus, Sarcina lutea, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Proteus sp. Aspergillus flavus, and Trichoderma viride. €€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€ Bergendorff O Sterner O Spasmolytic flavonols from Artemisia abrotanum [letter] In: Planta Med (1995 Aug) 61(4):370-1 ISSN: 0032-0943 Four flavonols with spasmolytic activity have been isolated from a methanol extract of Artemisia abrotanum L. (Asteraceae), as the principles primarily responsible for the smooth muscle relaxing activity of this plant. The flavonols show a dose-dependent relaxing effect on the carbacholine-induced contraction of guinea-pig trachea, the EC50 values for compounds 1-3 are 20-30 mumol/l while compound 4 is less active. €€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€ de Lima TC Morato GS Takahashi RN Evaluation of the central properties of Artemisia verlotorum. In: Planta Med (1993 Aug) 59(4):326-9 ISSN: 0032-0943 The anticonvulsive activity of the crude hydroalcoholic extract (HE) of Artemisia verlotorum (Compositae) was analysed as a part of a psychopharmacological screening of this plant. High doses of HE (2 g/kg) prevented the onset of electroshock (75 mA, 60 Hz) and pentylenetetrazole-induced (75 mg/kg i.p.) convulsions and also increased the latencies to convulsions induced by 3-mercaptopropionic acid (30 mg/kg i.p.) and pilocarpine (400 mg/kg i.p.) in mice. In addition, HE caused marked hypothermic and analgesic effects in these animals. Thus, the HE of A. verlotorum showed a protective effect against experimental convulsions elicited by various agents, as well as analgesic and hypothermic actions. These findings partially support the popular use of Artemisia verlotorum as an anticonvulsant and analgesic. €€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€ Abu-Niaaj L Abu-Zarga M Sabri S Abdalla S Isolation and biological effects of 7-O-methyleriodictyol, a flavanone isolated from Artemisia monosperma, on rat isolated smooth muscles. In: Planta Med (1993 Feb) 59(1):42-5 ISSN: 0032-0943 The isolation for the first time from the genus Artemisia (Compositae) of the known flavanone, 7-O-methyleriodictyol (7-methoxy- 5,3',4'-trihydroxy-flavanone), its identification, and its biological effects on rat isolated smooth muscles are described. 7-O- Methyleriodictyol (10(-7) M to 3 x 10(-4) M) caused concentration- dependent inhibition of the amplitude of the phasic contractions and reduced the tone of the ileum, the uterus, and the urinary bladder. It also caused relaxation of the phenylephrine-precontracted pulmonary artery and the acetylcholine-precontracted trachea. The flavanone also shifted to the right the acetylcholine concentration- effect curve on the ileum and the oxytocin concentration-effect curve on the uterus. The maximum contractions induced by acetylcholine or oxytocin were also inhibited by 7-O-methyleriodictyol. These antispasmodic effects are partly consistent with the use of A. monosperma in folk medicine for certain gastrointestinal disorders. Registry Numbers: 51857-11-5 (7-O-methyleriodictyol) €€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€