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Artemisia annua is a well-known traditional Chinese medicine. Due to its highest antimalarial efficacy, China has a long history of cultivating A. annua, and it is used for "clearing heat and detoxicating". Several, studies have shown that the A. annua extract exerts cytotoxicity. In order to clarify the basis of the cytotoxic effect of A. annua, 18 sesquiterpenes were isolated from the herb, including 2 new sesquiterpenes and 16 known analogues. The structures of new compounds were elucidated by comprehensive spectroscopic analyses, including HR-ESI-MS, NMR experiments, single-crystal X-ray, and DP4+ and electronic circular dichroism (ECD) calculations. Cytotoxic activity screening revealed three compounds that exhibited cytotoxicity in a dose-dependent manner. Additional exploration showed that compound 5 significantly inhibited the proliferation of CT26 and HCT116 cells and induced apoptosis of HCT116 cells after 24 h. These chemical constituents contributed to elucidating the mechanism of action of the cytotoxic activity of A. annua. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Artemisia is a major kind of grass pollen in Northern China that can cause multiple kinds of common allergic diseases, such as allergic rhinitis (AR), conjunctivitis, or asthma. Recently, Artemisia annua Allergens Sublingual Immunotherapy Drops have been proved effective and safe for treating seasonal AR (SAR) with or without allergic conjunctivitis patients and were available in China. We sought to further investigate the different intervention times of A. annua-sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT) for evaluating efficacy and safety in patients with SAR. Methods: A total of 88 subjects aged 18–52 years with SAR were enrolled and randomized into the SLIT group and control group. Forty-five patients received a course of SLIT with A. annua extracts along with pharmacotherapy as SLIT group and 43 patients only used symptomatic drugs as control group. Furthermore, SLIT group was randomly divided into 12–13 weeks' pre-seasonal treatment group and 8–9 weeks' pre-seasonal treatment group to receive different duration of SLIT before pollen season. Monosensitized and polysensitized groups were also the subgroups of SLIT group according to the sensitization status of patients. The combined symptom and medication score (CSMS), total nasal symptom score (TNSS), total medication score (TMS), visual analog score (VAS) were evaluated during the peak pollen phase in 2020 and 2021, respectively. Safety was assessed according to adverse events (AEs) reported. Results: Compared to control group, CSMS, TNSS, TMS, VAS were significantly improved during the course of SLIT (p < 0.001). Besides, clinical improvement in nasal symptoms and reduction of medication use was also observed in SLIT group, compared to the baseline value (p < 0.001). Meanwhile, we observed that there was no significant difference between monosensitized group (n = 8) and polysensitized group (n = 29), as well as 12–13 weeks' preseasonal treatment group (n = 20) and 8–9 weeks' pre-seasonal treatment group (n = 17) belonging to the SLIT group in clinical efficacy (p > 0.05). No severe systemic AEs were reported. Conclusions: This study proved that A. annua-SLIT can provide equivalent efficacy and safety for SAR patients under the circumstance of accepting the pre-seasonal treatment of 8–9 or 12–13 weeks, regardless of monosensitization or polysensitization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Mastitis is one of the most serious diseases restricting the development of the dairy industry. It not only affects bovine production performance, but also leads to antibiotic residues and drug resistance. As antibiotics have gradually been forbidden, it is urgently necessary to find natural alternatives to prevent mastitis. Artemisia annua is an annual low-toxicity herb native to China that is widely distributed around the world. This study aimed to explore whether an ethanol extract of Artemisia annua (AAE) could be used as a new preventive agent to ameliorate LPS-induced inflammation and blood–milk barrier disruption in bovine mammary epithelial cells (bMECs). Our results showed that AAE pretreatment could alleviate inflammatory injury and tight junction abnormalities after LPS challenge, which was partially related to the attenuation of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) signaling and the downregulation of CD36 levels. Our study can provide a certain reference value for the development and utilization of plant extracts. This experiment evaluated the pre-protective effect of AAE on inflammatory injury and tight junction disturbance in bMECs induced by LPS. The bMECs were treated with AAE (3, 6, 12 μg/mL) for 3 h and then incubated with 10 μg/mL lipopolysaccharide (LPS) for 12 h. Our results showed that LPS significantly increased the mRNA and protein expression of CD36, induced the phosphorylation of IκBα and p65 and elevated the levels of TNF-α, IL-1β and IL-6 mRNA, which further resulted in ultrastructural damage, disrupted the expression of tight junction proteins (occludin, zonula occludens (ZO-1) and claudin-1) and decreased the viability of bMECs (p < 0.05). More importantly, AAE pretreatment attenuated the expression of CD36, suppressed the activity of the NF-κB signaling pathway and down-regulated the levels of inflammatory factors in LPS-stimulated bMECs (p < 0.05). Therefore, AAE can effectively protect bMECs against inflammatory injury and tight junction dysfunction, which has important research value for the prevention of bovine mastitis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The freeze-thaw of early spring in China's Qinghai-Tibet Plateau is often accompanied by severe droughts. Artemisia annua, widely distributed in China, releases allelopathic substances, mainly artemisinin, to the environment and exerts a wide range of effects on crops. This paper studied the physiological effects of highland barley under freeze-thaw, drought, and artemisinin stress through indoor simulation experiments. The physiological response characteristics of superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, catalase (POD) activity, net photosynthetic rate, relative water content (RWC), relative electrical conductivity, malondialdehyde (MDA) content, and soluble protein content in highland barley were analyzed. The results showed that artemisinin and drought contributed to the increase of SOD activity and the decrease of POD activity. Under the freeze-thaw stress, the SOD and POD activities both decreased firstly and then increased, but the effect of compound stress on POD was more complicated. Either artemisinin, drought, or low temperature could reduce the net photosynthetic rate of highland barley. Low temperature had more significant impacts on photosynthesis, and compound stress would show a single stress superimposed effect. Artemisinin, drought, and low temperature could reduce the RWC of highland barley, and increase the relative electrical conductivity and the concentration of soluble protein (except for low temperature stress above zero, which reduces the concentration of soluble protein). However, the effect of compound stress on soluble protein is more complex. The single stress of artemisinin and drought had no obvious effect on MDA content, while the MDA content was increased significantly under the freeze-thaw stress and the compound stress of artemisinin and drought, and the MDA content reached its peak at T1. The results are helpful to explore the effects of freeze-thaw, drought and artemisinin stress on the growth of highland barley under the background of the aridification of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, and provide ideas for rational agricultural management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a medicinal plant, Artemisia annua is widely distributed in China. The purpose of this work was to analyze the chemical composition of essential oil from A. annua aerial portions, as well as to assess its repellent activity against Lasioderma serricorne and Tribolium castaneum adults. GC-FID and GC-MS analyses enabled the identification of 15 components representing 90.1% of the essential oil. The main components included artemisia ketone (70.6%), α-caryophyllene (5.1%) and germacrene D (3.8%). The essential oil was found to possess considerable ability to repel the two storage pests. This paper provided some evidence for the exploitation and utilization of A. annua resources as a natural repellent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Artemisia annua is an important autumnal pollen allergen for seasonal allergic rhinitis (SAR) in northern China. To date, no study has investigated allergen immunotherapy with A annua. We aimed to investigate the efficacy and mechanisms underlying A annua‐sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT). Methods: This was a randomized, double‐blind, placebo‐controlled phase III clinical trial involving 71 SAR patients, randomized to SLIT with A annua extract (n = 47) or placebo (n = 24) for 32 weeks. Total nasal symptom score (TNSS; primary clinical end point) was evaluated at baseline (peak pollen phase (PPP) in the previous year), initiation of A annua‐SLIT, 1st PPP during SLIT, end of SLIT and 2nd PPP during follow‐up. Blood samples and nasal secretions were collected at beginning and after SLIT for assessment of T cells and inflammatory mediators. Safety was assessed according to adverse events (AEs) reported. Results: Artemisia annua‐SLIT significantly reduced TNSS to a greater level from baseline (from 9.45 ± 1.68 to 6.16 ± 2.27) than placebo (from 9.29 ± 2.09 to 9.05 ± 2.40) at the 1st PPP (P <.001) and sustained the improvement in symptoms throughout to the 2nd PPP. Preseasonal A annua‐SLIT for 16 weeks significantly decreased Th2 cells, increased nTreg and Tr1 cells in blood; and increased cystatin 1 (CST1) in nasal secretion after 16 and 32 weeks compared with pretreatment. Overall, 17/47 patients experienced mild local AEs and 2 patients mild systemic AEs, after A annua‐SLIT. Conclusion: Artemisia annua‐SLIT is an efficacious and safe treatment in patients with A annua SAR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, breakthroughs have been made in the use of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) to treat various diseases. Several stem cell types have been authorized as drugs by the European Medicines Agency and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The Chinese official document "Notification of the management of stem cell clinical research (trial)" was also published in August 2015. Currently, China has approved 106 official stem cell clinical research filing agencies and 62 clinical research projects, which are mostly focused on MSC therapy. Hence, the optimization and development of stem cell drugs is imperative. During this process, maximizing MSC expansion, minimizing cell loss during MSC transplantation, improving the homing rate, precisely regulating the differentiation of MSCs, and reducing MSC senescence and apoptosis are major issues in MSC preclinical research. Similar to artemisinin extracted from the stems and leaves of Artemisia annua , ginsenoside Rg1 (Rg1) is purified from the root or stem of ginseng. In the human body, Rg1 regulates organ function, which is inseparable from its regulation of adult stem cells. Rg1 treatment may effectively regulate the proliferation, differentiation, senescence, and apoptosis of MSCs in different microenvironments in vitro or in vivo. In this review, we discuss recent advances in understanding the effect of Rg1 on MSCs and describe the issues that must be addressed and prospects regarding Rg1 regulation of MSCs in preclinical or clinical studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Artemisia weed pollen allergy is important in the northern hemisphere. While over 350 species of this genus have been recorded, there has been no full investigation into whether different species may affect the allergen diagnosis and treatment. This study aimed to evaluate the variations in amino acid sequences and the content of major allergens, and how these affect specific IgE binding capacity in representative Artemisia species. Methods: Six representative Artemisia species from China and Artemisia vulgaris from Europe were used to determine allergen amino acid sequences by transcriptome, gene sequencing and mass spectrometry of the purified allergen component proteins. Sandwich ELISAs were developed and applied for Art v 1, Art v 2 and Art v 3 allergen quantification in different species. Aqueous pollen extracts and purified allergen components were used to assess IgE binding by ELISA and ImmunoCAP with mugwort allergic patient serum pools and individual sera from five areas in China. Results: The Art v 1 and Art v 2 homologous allergen sequences in the seven Artemisia species were highly conserved. Art v 3 type allergens in A. annua and A. sieversiana were more divergent compared to A. argyi and A. vulgaris. The allergen content of Art v 1 group in the seven extracts ranged from 3.4% to 7.1%, that of Art v 2 from 1.0% to 3.6%, and Art v 3 from 0.3% to 10.5%. The highest IgE binding potency for most Chinese Artemisia allergy patients was with A. annua pollen extract, followed by A. vulgaris and A. argyi, with A. sieversiana significantly lower. Natural Art v 1‐3 isoallergens from different species have almost equivalent IgE binding capacity in Artemisia allergic patients from China. Conclusion and clinical relevance: There was high sequence similarity but different content of the three group allergens from different Artemisia species. Choice of Artemisia annua and A. argyi pollen source for diagnosis and immunotherapy is recommended in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Polar fraction of A. annua demonstrated remarkable hepatoprotective, antihyperglycemic and antioxidant activities in animal models. • Five quinic acid derivatives; were isolated for the first time from the polar fraction. • The content of quinic acid derivatives in A. annua leaves was determined by HPLC using 3-feruloylquinic acid as marker substance. • Seasonal variation of quinic acid derivatives using HPLC showed that the early summer leaves have the highest content. Genus Artemisia is widely known to have various therapeutic applications and chemical constituents. A. annua L. (commonly known as sweet wormwood or Qinghao) is an annual herb native to China, traditionally used for treating fever and malaria, and as a source of artemisinin. In the present study, a bio-guided fractionation of the 70% ethanolic extract of the leaves of A. annua cultivated in Egypt produced a bioactive polar fraction. Daily doses of this fraction (100 mg/kg b.wt) for 4 weeks substantially reduced the level of the CCl 4 -mediated increase in the liver enzymes; AST, ALT and ALP. Similarly, daily doses of the polar fraction (100 mg/kg) significantly reduced the blood glucose level in alloxan-induced diabetic by 32.1% in the second week and 46.9% in the fourth week, relative to that demonstrated by metformin (66.2%), and significantly (p < 0.01) restored to normal the blood glutathione level (35.2 ± 1.3 mg/dL), almost identical to that shown by vitamin E. Further purification of the bioactive fraction led to the isolation of 5 quinic acid derivatives; 3-feruloylquinic acid, 3,5-dicaffoeylquinic acid, 4,5-dicaffoeylquinic acid, 3,4-dicaffoeylquinic acid, and 3,4-dicaffoeylquinic acid methyl ester. The isolated compounds are reported here for the first time in A. annua , leaves cultivated in Egypt and suggested to be responsible, at least in part, to the biological activities of the polar fraction. Seasonal variation in the content of quinic acid derivatives in the leaves of A. annua L. was investigated during four harvest seasons (March, May, July "pre-flowering stage" and August-September "flowering stage") using RP-HPLC. The content of 3-feruloylquinic acid varied greatly throughout the year. It was found to be the lowest (0.036% w/w) in March "leaf stage" but increased through the warmer months from May to June (0.61% w/w), and reached the highest (1.34% w/w) in leaves harvested in July "early summer". Then-after, gradual decline in the content of quinic acid derivatives was evident in leaves collected during flowering stage in late summer "August-September" (0.84% w/w). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soil microbes play important roles in biochemical processes in the plant-soil-microbe ecosystem. However, the associations between soil microbes and herbal plants mediated by plant medical metabolites are poorly understood. We investigated the linkages of soil microbial biomass (SMB) and diversity based on an analysis of the phospholipid fatty acids and medical metabolites of Artemisia annua at 18 sites (54 plots) at altitudes ranging from 420 to 1420 m altitude in the Guizhou karst terrain of China. We found that the SMB and its diversity significantly linearly increased along the altitude gradient. The artemisinin concentration (0.54–20.82 g/kg) significantly linearly increased with increasing altitude. The artemisic acid concentration and total phenolics significantly linearly decreased with increasing altitude. SMB was significantly positively correlated to artemisinin and negatively correlated with total phenolics. Our results provide basic data regarding the linkages between soil microbes and A. annua medical metabolites, and provide an insight into their interactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The plant Artemisia annua produces the anti-malarial compound artemisinin. Although the transcriptional regulation of artemisinin biosynthesis has been extensively studied, its post-translational regulatory mechanisms, especially that of protein phosphorylation, remain unknown. Here, we report that an ABA-responsive kinase (AaAPK1), a member of the SnRK2 family, is involved in regulating artemisinin biosynthesis. The physical interaction of AaAPK1 with AabZIP1 was confirmed by multiple assays, including yeast two-hybrid, bimolecular fluorescence complementation, and pull-down. AaAPK1, mainly expressed in flower buds and leaves, could be induced by ABA, drought, and NaCl treatments. Phos-tag mobility shift assays indicated that AaAPK1 phosphorylated both itself and AabZIP1. As a result, the phosphorylated AaAPK1 significantly enhanced the transactivational activity of AabZIP1 on the artemisinin biosynthesis genes. Substituting the Ser37 with Ala37 of AabZIP1 significantly suppressed its phosphorylation, which inhibited the transactivational activity of AabZIP1. Consistent overexpression of AaAPK1 significantly increased the production of artemisinin, as well as the expression levels of the artemisinin biosynthesis genes. Our study opens a window into the regulatory network underlying artemisinin biosynthesis at the post-translational level. Importantly, and for the first time, we provide evidence for why the kinase gene AaAPK1 is a key candidate for the metabolic engineering of artemisinin biosynthesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Artemisinin is the crucial ingredient of artemisia annua , a traditional Chinese medicine used for the therapy of malaria in China for hundreds of years. In recent years, the anticancer properties of artemisinin and its derivatives have also been reported. This review has summarized the research and development of artemisinin and its derivatives as anticancer agents, which included both natural and synthetic monomers as well as their dimers. In addition, it highlights the antitumor effects of artemisinin and its derivatives after site-modification or after transformation to a nano-delivery system. Moreover, we have further explored their potential mechanisms of action and also discussed the clinical trials of ARTs used to treat cancer, which will facilitate in further development of novel anticancer drugs based on the scaffold of artemisinin. To create your abstract, type over the instructions in the template box below. Fonts or abstract dimensions should not be changed or altered. [Display omitted] • The various antitumor activities of artemisinin and its derivatives have been summarized. • The antitumor mechanisms of artemisinin and its derivatives have been summarized. • The use of nano-targeted drug delivery systems for artemisinin or artemisinin derivatives has been summarized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although the role of rising atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration [CO] on plant growth and fecundity is widely acknowledged as important within the scientific community; less research is available regarding the impact of [CO] on secondary plant compounds, even though such compounds can play a significant role in human health. At present, Artemisia annua, an annual plant species native to China, is widely recognized as the primary source of artemesinin used in artemesinin combination therapies or ACTs. ACTs, in turn, are used globally for the treatment of simple Plasmodium falciparum malaria, the predominant form of malaria in Africa. In this study, artemesinin concentration was quantified for multiple A. annua populations in China using a free-air CO enrichment (FACE) system as a function of [CO]-induced changes both in situ and as a function of the foliar ratio of carbon to nitrogen (C:N). The high correlation between artemesinin concentration and C:N allowed an historical examination of A. annua leaves collected at 236 locations throughout China from 1905 through 2009. Both the historical and experimental data indicate that increases in artemesinin foliar concentration are likely to continue in parallel with the ongoing increase in atmospheric [CO]. The basis for the [CO]-induced increase in artemesinin is unclear, but could be related to the carbon: nutrient hypothesis of Bryant et al. (). Overall, these data provide the first evidence that historic and projected increases in atmospheric [CO] may be associated with global changes in artemesinin chemistry, potentially allowing a greater quantity of drug available for the same area of cultivation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents an investigation aims to identify the chemical constituents in the essential oil (EO) and in the headspace (HS) of the Artemisia annua Chinese medicinal plants. The ecological function and biological activity of the roots and shoots of the sagebrush plants leading to the analysis of its volatile constituents are outlined. The chemical markers in shoots and roots of the plants are also tackled.

emisinin, a sesquiterpene lactone isolated from the Chinese medicinal plant Artemisia annua L., is an effective antimalarial agent, especially for multi-drug resistant and cerebral malaria. To date, A. annua is still the only commercial source of artemisinin. The low concentration of artemisinin in A. annua, ranging from 0.01 to 0.8% of the plant dry weight, makes artemisinin relatively expensive and difficult to meet the demand of over 100 million courses of artemisinin-based combinational therapies per year. Since the chemical synthesis of artemisinin is not commercially feasible at present, another promising approach to reduce the price of artemisinin-based antimalarial drugs is metabolic engineering of the plant to obtain a higher content of artemisinin in transgenic plants. In the past decade, we have established an Agrobacterium-mediated transformation system of A. annua, and have successfully transferred a number of genes related to artemisinin biosynthesis into the plant. The various aspects of these efforts are discussed in this review. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ancient Chinese herbal texts as far back as the 4th Century Zhou hou bei ji fang describe methods for the use of Qing Hao (Artemisia annua) for the treatment of intermittent fevers. Today, the A. annua constituent artemisinin is an important antimalarial drug and the herb itself is being grown and used locally for malaria treatment although this practice is controversial. Here we show that the ancient Chinese methods that involved either soaking, (followed by wringing) or pounding, (followed by squeezing) the fresh herb are more effective in producing artemisinin-rich extracts than the usual current method of preparing herbal teas from the dried herb. The concentrations of artemisinin in the extracts was up to 20-fold higher than that in a herbal tea prepared from the dried herb, but the amount of total artemisinin extracted by the Chinese methods was much less than that removed in the herbal tea. While both extracts exhibited potent in vitro activities against Plasmodium falciparum, only the pounded juice contained sufficient artemisinin to suppress parasitaemia in P. berghei infected mice. The implications of these results are discussed in the context of malaria treatment using A. annua infusions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The Artemisia species are widely distributed around the world, and have found important usage in traditional medicinal practice. This study was designed to investigate the metabolites of Tibetan Artemisia species and understand the metabolic pathways., Methods: The metabolites from three Artemisia species in Tibet, were analyzed using LC-MS/MS. The differential metabolites were classified and analyzed by principal component analysis (PCA), partial least squares analysis and hierarchical clustering. KEGG Pathway enrichment analysis was used to identify the key metabolic pathways involved in the differential metabolites of three Artemisia species., Result: The metabolites of three Artemisia species were analyzed. Under the positive ion mode in LC-MS/MS, 262 distinct metabolites were differentially detected from Artemisia sieversiana and Artemisia annua, 312 differential metabolites were detected from Artemisia wellbyi and Artemisia sieversiana, 306 differential metabolites were screened from Artemisia wellbyi and Artemisia annua. With the negative ion mode, 106 differential metabolites were identified from Artemisia sieversiana and Artemisia annua, 131 differential metabolites were identified from Artemisia wellbyi and Artemisia sieversiana,133 differential metabolites were differentially detected from Artemisia wellbyi and Artemisia annua. The selected differential metabolites were mainly organic acids and their derivatives, ketones, phenols, alcohols and coumarins. Among these natural compounds, artemisinin, has the highest relative content in Artemisia annua., Conclusions: This is the first reported attempt to comparatively determine the types of the metabolites of the three widely distributed Artemisia species in Tibet. The information should help medicinal research and facilitate comprehensive development and utilization of Artemisia species in Tibet., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Four previously unreported sesquiterpenoid diasteromers, arteannoides U-X (1-4), together with one new norsesquiterpenoid 5 (arteannoide Y) and one undescribed rearranged cadinene sesquiterpenoid 6 (arteannoide Z) were obtained from the dried aerial parts of Artemisia annua (Qinghao). Notably, arteannoides U-X (1-4) are four stereoisomers that possess the same molecules and the same planar connectivity, but differ from each other in configuration at a certain stereocenter. Their accurate structures were unambiguously identified and distinguished by extensive spectroscopic analyses, NMR calculations with DP4+ analysis, electronic circular dichroism (ECD) calculations and X-ray diffraction analyses. Compounds 1, 3, and 4 showed inhibitory activities against the production of inflammatory cytokines (PGE 2 , NO, IL-6 and TNF-α) in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced RAW 264.7 macrophages., (Copyright © 2021. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Background: Artemisia weed pollen allergy is important in the northern hemisphere. While over 350 species of this genus have been recorded, there has been no full investigation into whether different species may affect the allergen diagnosis and treatment. This study aimed to evaluate the variations in amino acid sequences and the content of major allergens, and how these affect specific IgE binding capacity in representative Artemisia species. Methods: Six representative Artemisia species from China and Artemisia vulgaris from Europe were used to determine allergen amino acid sequences by transcriptome, gene sequencing and mass spectrometry of the purified allergen component proteins. Sandwich ELISAs were developed and applied for Art v 1, Art v 2 and Art v 3 allergen quantification in different species. Aqueous pollen extracts and purified allergen components were used to assess IgE binding by ELISA and ImmunoCAP with mugwort allergic patient serum pools and individual sera from five areas in China. Results: The Art v 1 and Art v 2 homologous allergen sequences in the seven Artemisia species were highly conserved. Art v 3 type allergens in A. annua and A. sieversiana were more divergent compared to A. argyi and A. vulgaris. The allergen content of Art v 1 group in the seven extracts ranged from 3.4% to 7.1%, that of Art v 2 from 1.0% to 3.6%, and Art v 3 from 0.3% to 10.5%. The highest IgE binding potency for most Chinese Artemisia allergy patients was with A. annua pollen extract, followed by A. vulgaris and A. argyi, with A. sieversiana significantly lower. Natural Art v 1-3 isoallergens from different species have almost equivalent IgE binding capacity in Artemisia allergic patients from China. Conclusion and clinical relevance: There was high sequence similarity but different content of the three group allergens from different Artemisia species. Choice of Artemisia annua and A. argyi pollen source for diagnosis and immunotherapy is recommended in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Many components contained in Artemisia annua L. show significant health benefits. • Eleven bioactive components were quantified by an accurate HPLC-DAD assay. • An LC-ESI-QTOF-MS/MS confirmation was used to avoid false-positive results. • The contents of these bioactive components show obvious geographical variations. • Multivariate statistical analysis clusters 23 samples into 3 geographical groups. To evaluate the quality of Artemisia annua L., an accurate HPLC-DAD method has been developed, validated and applied to the simultaneous quantification of five flavonoids, two coumarins and four sesquiterpenes. An LC-ESI-QTOF-MS/MS confirmation method has been utilized to avoid false-positive results. Principal component analysis and hierarchical cluster analysis results indicated that their contents had obvious regional characteristics. Samples with high contents of artemisinin (8.24 ± 2.92 mg/g) and isorhamnetin (0.28 ± 0.25 mg/g) are mainly distributed south of the Yangtze River, and samples with high contents of scopolin (0.46 ± 0.22 mg/g), scopoletin (1.05 ± 0.17 mg/g), chrysosplenol D (0.64 ± 0.14 mg/g), casticin (1.07 ± 0.23 mg/g), arteannuin B (0.69 ± 0.18 mg/g) and artemisinic acid (3.02 ± 1.00 mg/g) are mainly distributed in eastern and northern China. Geographic content differences of the components in A. annua indicate the potential differences in the health-promoting effects of its clinical application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Artemisiae Annuae Herba is a traditional Chinese medicine for clearing deficiency and heat. It is the only natural source of artemisinin, which is a specific antimalarial drug, and has been widely concerned all over the world. In addition to artemisinin, Artemisiae Annuae Herba also contains many sesquiterpenes, coumarins, flavonoids, volatile oils, polysaccharides and other chemical components, which show antipyretic, anti-inflammatory, antiviral microorganisms, anti-asthma, anti-oxidation, anti-tumor and other pharmacological activities. In addition to their own pharmacological activities, some components could enhance the antimalarial activity of artemisinin through different mechanisms at absorption and metabolism in vivo. In order to understand the pharmacokinetic characte-ristics of the chemical constituents contained in Artemisiae Annuae Herba and provide reference for the full development and clinical utilization of Artemisiae Annuae Herba resources in China, this present paper systematically collated the modern research literatures, and summarized the biosynthesis, in vivo analysis and pharmacokinetics of the chemical constituents in Artemisiae Annuae Herba.

Malaria is a severe disease caused by parasites of the genus Plasmodium, which is transmitted to humans by a bite of an infected female mosquito of the species Anopheles. Malaria remains the leading cause of mortality around the world, and early diagnosis and fast-acting treatment prevent unwanted outcomes. It is the most common disease in Africa and some countries of Asia, while in the developed world malaria occurs as imported from endemic areas. The sweet sagewort plant was used as early as the second century BC to treat malaria fever in China. Much later, quinine started being used as an antimalaria drug. A global battle against malaria started in 1955, and Croatia declared 1964 to be the year of eradication of malaria. The World Health Organization carries out a malaria control program on a global scale, focusing on local strengthening of primary health care, early diagnosis of the disease, timely treatment, and disease prevention. Globally, the burden of malaria is lower than ten years ago. However, in the last few years, there has been an increase in the number of malaria cases around the world. It is moving towards targets established by the WHO, but that progress has slowed down. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two new coumarins (1 and 2), two new lignans (3 and 4), one new phloroglucinol derivative (5), together with eleven known compounds, were isolated from Artemisia annua. Their structures were identified by spectroscopic methods with 1 to be secured by X-ray diffraction. Antifungal activities of the isolates against Fusarium oxysporum, Fusarium solani, and Cylindrocarpon destrutans were evaluated. It was found that compound 1 could inhibit all the fungal strains with respective MIC values of 18.75, and 25.00 μg/mL. In contrast, compounds 4, 5, 7, and 8 are active toward C. destrutans and 14 displays inhibitory property toward F. solani., (Copyright © 2019. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Geo-herbals are preferred by long-term clinical application of Chinese medicine, they are produced in a specific area and affected by the specific production and processing methods. Geo-herbals have a high reputation, compared with other regions produced by the same kind of herbs with good quality, efficacy and stable quality characteristics. Geo-herbal is a unique concept that has been formed by the history of Chinese civilization for thousands of years and the history of Chinese medicine. According to the definition of geo-herbal, it can be seen that there are some differences in the quality and efficacy of the same kind of medicinal herbs in different regions, and there is some similarity in the specific area. In this study, the spatial distribution characteristics of artemisinin in Artemisia annua were analyzed by spatial statistical analysis. ①The spatial autocorrelation of artemisinin content was analyzed by "I coefficient". The results showed that the content of artemisinin in each province was significant and positive spatial autocorrelation. The content of artemisinin in each province was not randomly distributed, but with a clear spatial aggregation characteristics. ②The spatial variability of artemisinin content was analyzed by "G statistic". The results showed that the area with high content of artemisinin was distributed in the southwest region, and the content of artemisinin was concentrated in the space, which tends to accumulate at high value. The content of artemisinin in Tianjin and Liaoning province is low, and it tends to accumulate at low value, while the content of artemisinin in other provinces is the transition zone of high and low value. ③Based on the index of artemisinin in each province, the spatial correlation of artemisinin content in each region was analyzed by "moran scatter plot". The results showed that the content of artemisinin in nine provinces such as Guangxi and Chongqing belonged to high value gathering area. ④Based on the artemisinin content and ecological environment factor of sampling point, the "geophysical detector" was used to analyze the continuous quantitative data and discontinuous qualitative data. The results showed that the sunshine, temperature and precipitation were the main factors affecting the content of artemisinin., Competing Interests: The authors of this article and the planning committee members and staff have no relevant financial relationships with commercial interests to disclose., (Copyright© by the Chinese Pharmaceutical Association.)

Artemisiae Annuae Herba has used as a medicine for more than 2 000 years. To infer based on the modern study results, Artemisiae Annuae Herba used for the treatment of malaria recorded in Zhou Hou Bei Ji Fang before 1 700 years should come from Artemisia annua. Based on the data of Chinese materia medica, from the field of treatment hotness and preventing attack of malaria etc., the Dao-di producing district of Artemisiae Annuae Herba should at Jingzhou (now Hubei) and surrounding areas in history. From the view of anti-malaria components artemisinin content, the Dao-di growing producing district of Artemisiae Annuae Herba should locate at Chongqing, Guangxi and its surrounding provinces. The study results showed that A. annua was harvested in flower bloom at autumn, and in this time it also had higher artemisinin content. If A. annua was stored exceed six months, artemisinin could be degraded about thirty percent. So it should be stored in a cool and dry place generally. Wild A. annua had a rich genetic diversity. Artemisinin content of A. annua breeding in experimental field could reache to two percent., Competing Interests: The authors of this article and the planning committee members and staff have no relevant financial relationships with commercial interests to disclose., (Copyright© by the Chinese Pharmaceutical Association.)

The interspecific association of companion species in Artemisia annua community in 48 region of southwest China was analyzed by variance analysis, chi2-test and association indices. The total related variance ratio among species in A. annua community was 2.05. Among 45 species pairs of 10 main species in the community, only 4 pairs showed significant negative correlations. Chi2 test, PC, OI, DI and AC values indicated pairs 1-8 (A. annua- A. lactiflora), 1-9 (A. annua- Setaria viridis) and 1-10 (A. annua- Bidens pilosa) showed a high correlations, and common utilization to non-restrictive resources. The results indicated that there was a significant positive correlation among species,and the community was at a stable stage, showed strong ability to human interference.

Two new benzo[j]fluoranthene-based secondary metabolites named daldinone C (1) and daldinone D (2), along with two known metabolites, altechromone A and (4S)-5,8-dihydroxy-4-methoxy-alpha-tetralone, were isolated from the CHCl3/MeOH (1:1) extract of a solid culture of the endophyte Hypoxylon truncatum IFB-18 harbored inside the symptomless stem tissue of Artemisia annua. The structures of the new compounds were elucidated by MS and 1D and 2D NMR spectra and by X-ray diffraction analysis. Their absolute configurations were determined unambiguously by a combination of their CD data and the established exciton chirality rule. Compounds 1 and 2 were substantially cytotoxic against SW1116 cells, with IC50 values of 49.5 and 41.0 microM, respectively, comparable to that (37.0 microM) of 5-fluorouracil. The biosynthetic pathway for 1 and 2 was postulated with the natural occurrence of benzo[j]fluoranthene analogues discussed in brief.