Phytochemical Screening, GC-MS Analysis and Biological Activities of Extracts of Artemisia vulgaris Linn.

The aerial parts of Artemisia vulgaris were subjected for successive extraction in solvents methanol, hexane and chloroform, respectively, and compounds present in extract were analysed by GC-MS analysis 12 different compounds were found in chloroform extract in which Germacrene was found most abundantly (33.84%). Chloroform extract showed strong antibacterial activity, which was examined against 6 bacteria using the disc diffusion method. The IC50 value of chloroform extract accounted for 1.50 mg/mL. The TPC content of the extract was found to be 87.75 mg gallic acid equivalent/g of dry extract, whereas TFC content was found to be 47.25 mg quercetin equivalent/g of dry extract and exhibited LC50 value of 0.18 mg/mL.

Utilização de extrato Artemisia vulgaris em hexano no controle in vitro de Rhipicephalus microplus

As infestações por Rhiphicephalus microplus causam perdas significativas na bovinocultura brasileira provocando diversos prejuízos como, perda de peso e baixa conversão alimentar, podendo comprometer a produção de carne e leite. O extrato de plantas é utilizado como uma forma alternativa para o controle de carrapatos, visto que o uso indiscriminado de acaricidas está gerando populações de carrapatos cada vez mais resistentes. Assim, em conformidade com o exposto, o presente trabalho objetivou testar a eficiência reprodutiva in vitro de ativos extraídos em solvente apolar (hexano) da planta Artemisia vulgaris sobre o carrapato Rhipicephalus microplus. Inicialmente, para a avaliação das eficácias in vitro dos extratos da A. vulgaris, foram utilizadas teleóginas da colônia de R. microplus do Laboratório de Quimioterapia Experimental em Parasitologia Veterinária da UFRRJ (LQEPV), sendo separadas em grupos de 10 e submetidas ao teste de imersão em hexano na concentração de 1250 ppm, bem como controle positivo e negativo. A leitura do percentual de eclodibilidade que foi realizada para o cálculo da Eficiência Reprodutiva do Produto, foi feita através de análise de variância. Deste modo, ainda que hajam poucos trabalhos que comprovem a eficácia de A. vulgaris como um biocarrapaticida, pôde-se concluir com o presente estudo que, quando esta foi extraída em hexano demonstrou uma boa eficácia no controle in vitro de R. microplus.

Phytoaccumulation of heavy metals in native plants growing on soils in the Spreča river valley, Bosnia and Herzegovina

This study evaluated the phytoremediation potential of eight native plant species on heavy metal polluted soils along the Spreča river valley (the northeast region of Bosnia and Herzegovina). Plants selected for screening were: ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.), common nettle (Urtica dioica L.), mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris L.), wild mint (Mentha arvensis L.), white clover (Trifolium repens L.), alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.), dwarf nettle (Urtica urens L.) and yarrow (Achillea millefolium L.). All aboveground parts of selected native plants and their associated soil samples were collected and analysed for total concentration of Ni, Cr, Cd, Pb, Zn and Cu. The bioaccumulation factor for each element was also calculated. The levels of Cr (90.9–171.1 mg/kg) and Ni (80.1–390.5 mg/kg) in the studied soil plots were generally higher than limits prescribed by European standards, indicating that the soils in the Spreča river valley are polluted by Cr and Ni. Among the eight screened plant species, no hyperaccumulators for toxic heavy metals Ni, Cr, Cd and Pb were identified. However, the concentrations of toxic heavy metals in the above-ground parts of Artemisia vulgaris L. and Trifolium repens L. were significantly higher than in the other studied plants, indicating that both plant species are useful for heavy metal removal.

Knockdown of Uridine Diphosphate Glucosyltransferase 86Dg Enhances Susceptibility of Tribolium castaneum (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) to Artemisia vulgaris (Asterales: Asteraceae) Essential Oil

Uridine diphosphate glucosyltransferases (UGTs), which are phase II detoxification enzymes, are found in various organisms. These enzymes play an important role in the detoxification mechanisms of plant allelopathy and in insects. Artemisia vulgaris L. (Asterales: Asteraceae: Artemisia) essential oil has strong contact toxicity to Tribolium castaneum Herbst (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) larvae. However, the effect of A. vulgaris essential oil on UGTs is unclear. In this study, A. vulgaris essential oil was shown to significantly induce the expression of the TcUgt86Dg transcript. Furthermore, treatment of TcUgt86Dg-silenced individuals with A. vulgaris essential oil resulted in higher mortality than for the control individuals, indicating that TcUgt86Dg is involved in detoxification of A. vulgaris essential oil in T. castaneum. The developmental expression profile showed that the expression of TcUgt86Dg in late adults was higher than in other developmental stages. Furthermore, the expression profile in adult tissues revealed higher expression of TcUgt86Dg in the head, antenna, fat body, and accessory gland than in other tissues. These data show that TcUgt86Dg may be involved in the metabolism of exogenous toxins by T. castaneum; thus, our results have elucidated one possible mechanism of resistance to A. vulgaris essential oil and provide a theoretical basis for a control scheme for T. castaneum.

Research of beta-radioactivity of certain medicinal plants of Dnipro area

In the course of research conducted in the laboratory of radioecology of DNU, information was obtained on the beta-radioactivity of nine species of medicinal plants from two types of habitats – meadow biocenosis on the outskirts of the village. Kirovsky Dnipro region and a weed-meadow group near the town of Kamyanske, Dnipro area. Beta-radioactivity of the studied medicinal plants varied in the range from 1.18×10-5 Bq to 19.09×10-5 Bq at relatively clean habitats and from 18.35×10-5 Bq to 82.95×10-5 Bq on the anthropogenically polluted area. In a relatively clean habitat, the lowest indicators of beta-radioactivity in aboveground organs are characterized by Artemisia vulgaris L. and Capsella bursa-pastoris (L.) Medikus, the highest – Hypericum perforatum L. and Achillea submillefolium Klokov & Krytzka. In the underground organs, the highest indicators of beta-radioactivity were recorded in Artemisia vulgaris and Hypericum perforatum, the lowest – in Melissa officinalis L. and Valeriana officinalis L. Under conditions of industrial pollution, the lowest indicators of beta-radioactivity in aboveground organs were found in Artemisia vulgaris and Matricaria recutita L., in underground – in Tanacetum vulgare L. and Achillea submillefolium. The highest values of beta-radioactivity in these conditions were registered in the aboveground organs of Tanacetum vulgare and Hypericum perforatum and in the underground parts of Melissa officinalis and Hypericum perforatum. The analysis showed that the anthropogenic factor (pollution) has a statistically proven effect on the beta-radioactivity of the studied medicinal plants (with a probability of P = 0.999). Indicators of the strength of influence were high – from 67 to 85%. Anthropogenic pollution has the greatest impact on the beta-radioactivity of underground organs. The identified trend reflects a well-known natural dependence – the farther along the transport chain from the root is the body, the less, as a rule, it accumulates radionuclides. The detected values of beta-radioactivity, including in the industrially contaminated area are not dangerous with a single use of the studied medicinal plants. However, medicinal plants collected in the contaminated area due to increased beta-radioactivity can cause damage with prolonged systematic use due to the cumulative effect and are therefore not recommended for use.