Morphological, Karyological and Phylogenetic Analyses of three Artemisia species that Around the Van Lake in Turkey

Artemisia is one of the biggest genera in the family Asteraceae, with around 500-600 taxa at specific and sub-specific levels and organised in five subgenera. Due to the high number of taxa, a lot taxonomists are trying to solve the problem of its classification and phylogeny but its natural classification still has not been achieved.The aim of this study is to try to solve the problematic systematic relationship between three different Artemisia species growing in close proximity to each other in the light of morphological, karyological and molecular data.The roots, stems, leaves, flowers structures of the plant samples collected from different populations belong to these species were investigated within the framework of morphological studies. Additionally, the chromosome counts and karyotype analysises of these species were made and idiograms were drawn in the karyological studies. In the context of phylogenetic studies, ITS and trn regions of 22 individuals belonging to 3 taxa were studied. It has been found that there is complete speciation genetic isolation mechanism between the species A. spicigera, A. taurica and A. fragrans that inhibit gene flow. A. fragrans and A. spicigera species are very similar to each other in terms of morphological characteristics. However, since populations of the species a fragrans are otopolyploid, the dimensional values of their morphological squares are larger than those of the species A. spicigera.This study is important as it is the first molecular based study relating with some species of Artemisia growing naturally in Turkey.

Extraction, Isolation and Characterization of Bioactive Compounds from Artemisia and Their Biological Significance: A Review

Diverse medicinal plants such as those from the genus Artemisia have been employed globally for centuries by individuals belonging to different cultures. Universally, Artemisia species have been used to remedy various maladies that range from simple fevers to malaria. A survey conducted by the World Health Organization (WHO) demonstrated that 80% of the global population is highly reliant on herbal medicine for their primary healthcare. WHO recommends artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACT) for the treatment of global diseases such as malaria. Artemisinin is a bioactive compound derived from Artemisia annua leaves. It is a sesquiterpene endoperoxide with potent antimalarial properties. This review strives to instill natural products to chemists and others in diverse fields with a heterogeneous set of knowledge compiled from multifaceted researchers and organizations in literature. In particular, the various Artemisia species and effective extraction, isolation, and characterization methodologies are discussed in detail. An in-depth investigation into the literature reveals that divergent species of Artemisia exhibit a vast array of biological activities such as antimalarial, antitumor, and anti-inflammatory activities. There is substantial potential for bioactive compounds from Artemisia to provide significant relief from differing human ailments, but more meticulous research in this field is needed.

Anti-Leishmanial Activity of Artemisia persica, A. spicigera, and A. fragrance against Leishmania major

Background: Neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) like zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniasis (ZCL), is a widespread infectious disease with high mortality and morbidity. Various medications are used for treating the disease, but several side effects and drug resistance have been reported. Herbal medicines are unlimited sources for discovering new medications to treat infectious diseases. We aimed to determine the leishmanicidal activity of three species of Iranian Artemisia herbal plant extracts in in-vitro. Methods: In-vitro anti-leishmanial activity of ethanolic extracts on both promastigotes and amastigotes was determined by using MTT method. IC50, CC50, EC50 and SI were calculated. The study was done in 2019-2020 in Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. Results: All of the three Artemisia species significantly reduced the number of parasite promastigotes. Among them, A. persica had the highest leishmanicidal activity against parasite promastigotes. Cytotoxicity assay elucidated that the Artemisia had no toxicity to the host cells, and killed the L. major amastigotes very efficiently. By increasing the dose of extracts, the parasite number in both phases (promastigotes and amastigotes) was reduced significantly. Conclusion: These results indicated satisfactory anti-leishmanial activity of Artemisia extracts against ZCL in-vitro. Accordingly, Artemisia ethanolic extracts might be considered as a strong, effective and safe herbal compound for clearing the L. major with less toxicity to the host macrophages cells. Hence, it may be recognized as an excellent herbal therapy for treating the ZCL.

An Ethnobotanical Meta-Analysis of North American Medicinal Asteraceae

The Asteraceae is the largest family of plants in North America and widely used as medicine by Indigenous peoples. This study investigated the medicinal ethnobotany of North American Asteraceae to identify taxa that appear preferentially selected or avoided for general and specific medicinal uses. Asteraceae-specific ethnobotanical reports recorded in the Native American Ethnobotany Database were compiled and, using residual and binomial analyses, 14 tribes were compared and ranked as either over- or under-selected for medicine, food or technology, and for different categories of medicinal applications. Statistical analysis supported the hypothesis that selection of species for ethnobotanical purposes is non-random and does not depend on the size of the flora. The Anthemideae tribe was identified as over-selected for all types of applications, including most therapeutic categories, most significantly as pulmonary and orthopedic aids. Subsequent analysis revealed that the over-representation of this tribe was attributed mainly to Achillea millefolium and Artemisia spp.. The significance of Anthemideae, particularly of Achillea and Artemisia species, as highly-selected medicinal taxa emphasizes their cultural importance to Indigenous North Americans. Residual and binomial statistics generally provided parallel results but supplementary statistical methods, more in-depth investigation of other use categories, and inclusion of plant distribution data may provide greater insight into traditional uses of Asteraceae in North America.

The Effects of Artemisia Plant and Its Components Against Respiratory Viruses Like Influenza and Their Mechanisms of Action

Context: Artemisia genus and its chemical constituents show antiviral activity against different viruses. The aim of this study was to review the effects of selected Artemisia species and their components against respiratory viruses like influenza and coronavirus. Methods: All the articles published in English or Persian related to the effects of Artemisia and its components on viral respiratory infections and relevant action mechanisms were searched throughout Medline, Science Direct, Scopus, Ebsco, Google Scholar, and Cochrane Library Database from 1966 up to April 2020. Results: A few numbers of Artemisia species such as A. scoparia, A. rupestris, and A. annua and their components showed efficacy against the influenza virus and coronaviruses. Furthermore, some chemical compounds isolated from Artemisia species, like rupestonic acid, showed potent anti-influenza activity. The mechanism of antiviral activity was also determined for some of these compounds. Conclusions: The present study summarized the efficacy of a number of Artemisia species and their components against respiratory viruses like influenza and coronavirus. Future studies on other Artemisia species may lead to the discovery of new antiviral drugs against the influenza virus and coronaviruses.

Diversity of Endophytic Fungal Community in Leaves of Artemisia argyi Based on High-throughput Amplicon Sequencing

To investigate the community structure and diversity of endophytic fungi in the leaves of Artemisia argyi, leaf samples were collected from five A. argyi varieties grown in different cultivation areas in China, namely, Tangyin Beiai in Henan (BA), Qichun Qiai in Hubei (QA), Wanai in Nanyang in Henan (WA), Haiai in Ningbo in Zhejiang (HA), and Anguo Qiai in Anguo in Hebei (AQA), and analyzed using Illumina high-throughput sequencing technology. A total of 365,919 pairs of reads were obtained, and the number of operational taxonomic units for each sample was between 165 and 285. The alpha diversity of the QA and BA samples was higher, and a total of two phyla, eight classes, 12 orders, 15 families, and 16 genera were detected. At the genus level, significant differences were noted in the dominant genera among the samples, with three genera being shared in all the samples. The dominant genus in QA was Erythrobasidium, while that in AQA, HA, and BA was Sporobolomyces, and that in WA was Alternaria, reaching a proportion of 16.50%. These results showed that the fungal community structure and diversity in QA and BA were high. The endophytes are of great importance to the plants, especially for protection, phytohormone and other phytochemical production, and nutrition. Therefore, this study may be significant with the industrial perspective of Artemisia species.

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

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

Effects of intercropping on growth, elemental composition and antioxidant activity of Artemisia scoparia and Raphanus sativus under lead supply

Artemisia species and radish demonstrate intensive allelopathic properties and high ability to hyperaccumulate heavy metals, but their interaction has not been studied up to date. In a pot experiment, the relationship between wormwood (A. scoparia L.) and radish grown individually or intercropped, without and with Pb(NO3)2 supply, was investigated. The intercropping had significant effects in both species, as a consequence of metal allelopathy. Radish showed decrease of root biomass (1.75- fold), Fe, Mn and Zn content (2-fold), Cu level (5.4-fold), and a 1.59-fold Pb increase in the leaves. In wormwood, a 1.75-fold increase of root biomass, as well as a 7.2- and 2.8-fold increase of root and leaf Fe content, respectively, were recorded. A. scoparia, the most Pb tolerant out of the 11 Artemisia species investigated, accumulated 6.6 and 9.9 times more Pb in leaves and roots respectively, compared to radish, under Pb supply which encouraged the growth of both plants. The intercropping under Pb supply induced a three-fold decrease of radish root biomass and 7.8-fold decrease of Pb content. Changes in plant antioxidant activity were recorded only under Pb supply and were not related to radish-wormwood interaction: the leaf phenolics content and antioxidant activity displayed 1.4- and 2- fold increases, respectively, in radish, and 1.4- and 1.6-fold decreases in wormwood. Synchronous changes in elemental composition of wormwood and radish in intercropping conditions, without or under Pb supply, suggest the significance of this phenomenon in plants interaction and arise high prospects of A. scoparia utilization to tackle weeds and soil Pb pollution