Absinthium Extract Research Articles

Antimicrobial Activity of Artemisia absinthium Against Surgical Wounds Infected by Staphylococcus aureus in a Rat Model

The wound infection is one of the frequent complications in patients undergoing surgical operations. Staphylococcus aureus is the most common cause of surgical wounds. Artemisia absinthium has been shown to bear strong antimicrobial activity, especially against Gram-positive pathogens. This study was designed to investigate the antimicrobial effects of A. absinthium against surgical wounds infected by S. aureus in a rat model. Twenty male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided randomly into two equal groups of treated and control rats. A circular incision was created on the dorsal inter-scapular region of each rat. After skin wounding, rats were inoculated locally with 1×10(4) CFU of S. aureus at sites of skin wounds. The extract was applied topically twice a day throughout the experiment. Animals of the control group were left untreated. Results have revealed that topical application of A. absinthium extract on the infected wound sites produced significant antibacterial activity against S. aureus.

Antiparasitic efficacy of worm wood (Artemisia absinthium) alcoholic extract on syphacia obvolata

BACKGROUNDS: Occurrence of resistance against antiparasitic drugs has made it essential for researchers to find new sources for antiparasitic drugs. OBJECTIVES: This study was performed to determine the efficiency of alcoholic extract of worm wood (Artemisia absinthium) on Syphasia parasite. METHODS: Artemisia absinthium extract was examined on 3 groups of mice at 2.5%, 5% and 10% concentrations. A group of positive control received pyrantel pamoate, while negative control group was treated by a solution containing no extract. Mice were treated orally 28 days after infection by Syphacia eggs. The efficacy of treatment was determined by Syphacia eggs in the feces. RESULTS: In groups that received either 5% or 10% concentrations of A. absinthium extract or pyrantel pamoate, microscopic examinations of the feces demonstrated no Syphacia eggs. CONCLUSIONS: Data obtained from the present study showed that the alcoholic extract of Artemisia absinthium may lead to a decline in the number of Syphacia eggs in the feces with minimal side effects. The extract of this plant can probably be used as a suitable alternative in the treatment of some parasitic diseases.

Artemisia absinthium (AA): a novel potential complementary and alternative medicine for breast cancer

Natural products have become increasingly important in pharmaceutical discoveries, and traditional herbalism has been a pioneering specialty in biomedical science. The search for effective plant-derived anticancer agents has continued to gain momentum in recent years. The present study aimed to investigate the role of crude extracts of the aerial parts of Artemisia absinthium (AA) extract in modulating intracellular signaling mechanisms, in particular its ability to inhibit cell proliferation and promote apoptosis in a human breast carcinoma estrogenic-unresponsive cell line, MDA-MB-231, and an estrogenic-responsive cell line, MCF-7. Cells were incubated with various concentrations of AA, and anti-proliferative activity was assessed by MTT assays, fluorescence microscopy after propidium iodide staining, western blotting and cell cycle analysis. Cell survival assays indicated that AA was cytotoxic to both MDA-MB-231 and MCF-7 cells. The morphological features typical of nucleic staining and the accumulation of sub-G1 peak revealed that the extract triggered apoptosis. Treatment with 25 μg/mL AA resulted in activation of caspase-7 and upregulation of Bad in MCF-7 cells, while exposure to 20 μg/mL AA induced upregulation of Bcl-2 protein in a time-dependent response in MDA-MB-231 cells. Both MEK1/2 and ERK1/2 was inactivated in both cell lines after AA treatment in a time-dependent manner. These results suggest that AA-induced anti-proliferative effects on human breast cancer cells could possibly trigger apoptosis in both cell lines through the modulation of Bcl-2 family proteins and the MEK/ERK pathway. This might lead to its possible development as a therapeutic agent for breast cancer following further investigations.

Antimicrobial and antioxidant properties of Artemisia L. species from western Anatolia

Artemisia L. taxa (A. absinthium L., A. arborescens L., A. campestris L., A. scoparia Waldst. & Kit., A. santonicum L., and A. vulgaris L.) naturally distributed through western and southwestern Turkey were chosen as experimental materials in this study. Essential oils of the aerial parts of these Artemisia species were isolated by hydrodistillation and analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The major components were identified as sabinene in A. absinthium (17.56%), camphor in A. arborescens (33.39%), 1,2-dehydro acenaphthylene in A. campestris and A. scoparia (20.71% and 11.80%, respectively), and \alpha-thujone in A. vulgaris and A. santonicum (56.13% and 39.46%, respectively). Essential oils and methanolic extracts of the plants were tested for antimicrobial activity using the disk-diffusion method against 8 bacteria and 1 fungus. Staphylococcus aureus was the most sensitive bacteria to all of the essential oils. A. santonicum and A. scoparia were the most active plants against Candida albicans, with 35-mm and 40-mm diameter zones, respectively. Antioxidant capacities of the plants were also tested. The radical scavenging activity of A. scoparia extract (48.51%) and essential oil (80.08%), the Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity of A. campestris extract (10.76 ± 0.47), and the \alpha-tocopherol equivalent of A. absinthium extract (5.87 ± 0.17) were the highest results.

Antiparasitic Efficiency of Artemisia absinthium on Toxocara cati in Naturally Infected Cats

The first aim of the present study was to determine the efficiency of A. absinthium extract on cats naturally infected with Toxocara cati. The second aim was to determine the efficiency of the extract on the embryonic development of T. cati eggs in vitro. Artemisia absinthium extract was orally administrated to cats at the doses of 300 mg/kg and 600 mg/kg body weight in Group 1 and 2, respectively. It was given only once a day and the treatment continued 7 consecutive days. The faeces of the cats were examined both macroscopically and microscopically by flotation procedure with saturated salt solution pre-, during and post- treatment period. The faecal analysis was maintained during 8 days after completing the extract administration. The alteration of faecal egg numbers was performed by using the McMaster technique. The faecal egg numbers per gram were decreased gradually in cats in the trial groups. In the treatment period, the activities of ALT, AST, ALP, urea and creatinine were located within the physiological ranges in cats. In in vitro trials with A. absinthium extract, the embryonic development of T. cati eggs was identical in all groups (treatment and control). A. absinthium extract did not inhibit larval development in eggs in in vitro trials. This plant extract may be an alternative choice in the treatment of parasitic diseases in future.

Volatile components of four Ethiopian Artemisia species extracts and their in vitro antitrypanosomal and cytotoxic activities

Artemisia species are one of the many traditional medicinal plants of Ethiopia used for the treatment of infectious and non-infectious health problems. In the present study, eight extracts prepared from leaves and aerial parts of four Artemisia species (Artemisia absinthium, A. abyssinica, A. afra, and A. annua) growing in Ethiopia were tested in vitro against bloodstream forms of Trypanosoma brucei brucei. The most active extract was the dichloromethane extract from aerial parts of A. abyssinica with an IC(50) value of 19.13 microg/ml. A selectivity index (SI) of 8.24 was obtained with HL-60 cells treated with the same extract. Artemisinin, the best known antimalarial compound from A. annua showed antitrypanosomal activity with an IC(50) value of 35.91 microg/ml and with a selectivity index of 2.44. The dichloromethane extracts of the four species were further investigated for their volatile components using GLC/MS. Camphor was detected in the four species and was found to be the principal compound (38.73%) of A. absinthium extract. Octa-3,5-diene-2,7-dione, 4,5-dihydroxy was detected in three species except in A. afra and was present as the main volatile component (54.95%) of A. abyssinica. Epoxylinalool was detected only in A. afra and was the principal component (29.10%) of dichloromethane extract of the plant. Deoxyqinghaosu was only present in A. annua and absent in the other three Artemisia species. Deoxyqinghaosu was the principal volatile component (20.44%) of the dichloromethane extract of A. annua. In conclusion, the dichloromethane extract from aerial part of A. abyssinica should be considered for further study for the treatment of trypanosomiasis.

<italic>In vivo</italic> evaluation of anti-parasitic effects of <italic>Artemisia absinthium</italic> extracts on Syphacia parasite

Herbs are the common resources for drugs in the both forms of traditional or pure products. WHO prepared a comprehensive list of herbs as well as their extracts are currently using for experimental trials against a variety of diseases. Such herbal products could be used for providing novel effective drug targets. This study has been carried out in order to evaluate the effects of various native herbs are currently used for anti parasitic purposes in Iran as well as their application in traditional medicines. The authors examined direct effects of Artemisia absinthium extract in removing Syphacia parasite in the experimental mouse. Herbal extract was prepared by dried plant in absolute ethanol, mixed well, incubated and finally extracted by evaporator rotation device. Experimental mice were treated with A. absinthium extract 10 days after infection by orally inoculated with Syphacia ova. Mice were examined by observation of Syphacia ova in their feces. Three groups of mice were treated with A. absinthium extract at concentrations of 2.5%, 5% and 10% respectively, whereas the fifth group was administrated with Pyrantel pamoate. Microscopical examination of feces indicated no Syphacia ova in all experimental groups, which was verified later by hitopathological study of target organs at the terminal stage of experiment. It is concluded here that pharmacological application of Artemisia absinthium extract was able to decrease the number of Syphacia parasite ova in mice with least pathophysiological side effects. This will draw new insights in designing novel anti-parasitic drugs are extracted from plants are grown especially in the Middle East, South East and central Asia.

Evaluation of extracts and oils of tick‐repellent plants from Sweden

Abstract. Leaves of Myrica gale Linnaeus (Myricaceae), Rhododendron tomentosum (Stokes) H. Harmaja (formerly Ledum palustre Linnaeus: Ericaceae) and Artemisia absinthium Linnaeus (Asteraceae) were extracted with organic solvents of different polarities and the essential oils of leaves were obtained by steam distillation. The extracts or oils were tested in the laboratory for repellency against host-seeking nymphs of Ixodes ricinus Linnaeus (Acari: Ixodidae). Rhododendron tomentosum oil, 10%, diluted in acetone, exhibited 95% repellency; R. tomentosum and A. absinthium extracts in ethyl acetate, > 70% repellency; A. absinthium extract in hexane, approximately 62% repellency; and M. gale oil, 10%, approximately 50% repellency on I. ricinus nymphs. Compounds in the leaf extracts or in the oils were collected by solid phase microextraction (SPME) and identified by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and/or MS. Characteristic volatiles detected from oil or extract of M. gale were the monoterpenes 1,8-cineole, alpha-terpineol, 4-terpineol and thujenol; and of R. tomentosum myrcene and palustrol. Characteristic volatiles from leaf extracts of A. absinthium were sabinene, oxygenated monoterpenes, e.g. thujenol and linalool, and geranyl acetate. Each plant species synthesized numerous volatiles known to exhibit acaricidal, insecticidal, 'pesticidal' and/or arthropod repellent properties. These plants may be useful sources of chemicals for the control of arthropods of medical, veterinary or agricultural importance.