PHARMACOLOGICAL ACTIVITY OF OTHER ARTEMISIA SPECIES

Artemisia capillaris inhibits TNF-α- and IL-α cytokines in human hepatoma cell line

Koo HN and his colleagues from Department of Oriental Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, Wonkwang University, South Korea, investigated the effect of an aqueous extract of A. capillaris (Compositae) plant on ethanol (EtOH)-induced cytotoxicity in Hep G2 cells. A. capillaris (0.5-5 microg/mL) inhibited the secretion of EtOH-induced interluekin-1alpha (IL-1α) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α). A. capillaris also inhibited the EtOH-, IL-1α, and TNF-α-induced cytotoxicity. Furthermore, they found that A. capillaris inhibited the EtOH-induced apoptosis of Hep G2 cells. These results suggest that AC may prevent the EtOH-induced cytotoxicity through inhibition of the apoptosis of Hep G2 cells (Koo HN et al. 2002)Koo HN, Hong SH, Jeong HJ, Lee EH, Kim NG et al. Inhibitory effect of Artemisia capillaris on ethanol-induced cytokines (TNF-alpha, IL-1alpha) secretion in Hep G2 cells. Immunopharmacol Immuntoxicol (2002) 24:441-53.

Anti-Inflammatory activity of Artemisia asiatica

Choi S and his colleagues demonstrated that DA-9601 - a standardized aqueous extract of A. asiatica blocks TNF-α -induced IL-8 and CCL20 production by inhibiting p38 kinase and NFқB pathways in human gastric epithelial cells.

Anti-cancer activity of flavonides from Artemisia annua and Artemisia absinthium

In 1994, Zheng et al. tested the cytotoxic activity of nine terpenoids and flavonoids isolated from A. annua in vitro on several human tumour cell lines. These compounds are artemisinin, deoxyartemisinin, artemisinic acid, arteannuin-B, stigmasterol, friedelin, friedelan-3 beta-ol, artemetin, and quercetagetin 6,7,3',4'-tetramethyl ether. Friedelane-type triterpenoids were isolated for the first time from this plant. Artemisinin and quercetagetin 6,7,3',4'-tetramethyl ether showed significant cytotoxicity against P-388, A-549, HT-29, MCF-7, and KB tumour cells (Zheng GQ et al. 1994)Zheng GQ. Cytotoxic terpenoids and flavonoids from Artemisia annua (1994) Planta Med 60: 54-57.

Flavonide 5,6,3',5'-tetramethoxy 7,4'-hydroxyflavone (p7F) isolated from A. absinthium was studied on mice models by Lee HG et al for its effects on TNF-α and nuclear factor kappaB, both in vivo and in vitro p7F was found to suppress both (Lee HG, et al. 2004)Lee HG, Kim H, Oh WK, et al (2004).Tetramethoxy hydroxyflavone p7F down-regulates inflammatory mediators via the inhibition of nuclear factor kappaB. Ann NY Acad Sci 1030: 555-68.

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