Secondary Metabolites Isolated from Artemisia afra and Artemisia annua and Their Anti-Malarial, Anti-Inflammatory and Immunomodulating Properties—Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacodynamics: A Review

Abstract

There are over 500 species of the genus Artemisia in the Asteraceae family distributed over the globe, with varying potentials to treat different ailments. Following the isolation of artemisinin (a potent anti-malarial compound with a sesquiterpene backbone) from Artemisia annua, the phytochemical composition of this species has been of interest over recent decades. Additionally, the number of phytochemical investigations of other species, including those of Artemisia afra in a search for new molecules with pharmacological potentials, has increased in recent years. This has led to the isolation of several compounds from both species, including a majority of monoterpenes, sesquiterpenes, and polyphenols with varying pharmacological activities. This review aims to discuss the most important compounds present in both plant species with anti-malarial properties, anti-inflammatory potentials, and immunomodulating properties, with an emphasis on their pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics properties. Additionally, the toxicity of both plants and their anti-malaria properties, including those of other species in the genus Artemisia, is discussed. As such, data were collected via a thorough literature search in web databases, such as ResearchGate, ScienceDirect, Google scholar, PubMed, Phytochemical and Ethnobotanical databases, up to 2022. A distinction was made between compounds involved in a direct anti-plasmodial activity and those expressing anti-inflammatory and immunomodulating activities or anti-fever properties. For pharmacokinetics activities, a distinction was made between compounds influencing bioavailability (CYP effect or P-Glycoprotein effect) and those affecting the stability of pharmacodynamic active components.

The effects of Artemisia annua nutritional supplementation at varying concentrations on broiler growth, economic yield, and gene expression levels of certain antioxidant, inflammatory, and immune genes

“…The impact of Artemisia on TNF-α gene expression shows its anti-inflammatory potential in broilers [ 50 ]. Inhibiting the inflammatory cascade, AA modulates mitogen-activated protein kinase and decreases NF-κB activity [ 51 ].…”

Effects of dietary Artemisia annua supplementation on growth performance, antioxidant capacity, immune function, and gut microbiota of geese

“…Studies have shown that Artemisia annua contains a variety of constituents including sesquiterpenes, diterpenes, flavonoids, coumarins, and volatile oils ( Septembre-Malaterre et al, 2020 ). studies have found that Artemisia annua has a variety of effects, including direct antibacterial, antiparasitic, antiviral, antioxidant, and immune-enhancing properties ( Baggieri et al, 2023 ; Shinyuy et al, 2023 ). It has been reported that the addition of Artemisia annua extract to diets can reduce serum malondialdehyde levels in mice and protect against galactose-induced oxidative stress in mice ( Kim et al, 2014 ).…”

Five Different Artemisia L. Species Ethanol Extracts’ Phytochemical Composition and Their Antimicrobial and Nematocide Activity

“…The current biological activity studies of numerous Artemisia species do not reveal the full extent of the inherent formidable biochemical potential of this plant. Based on extensive empirical evidence, this plant was initially employed in antimalarial [ 7 , 8 ] and antibacterial therapy [ 9 , 10 ] and, subsequently, as antifungal [ 9 , 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 ] and antihepatotoxic [ 14 , 15 ] agents, with notable anti-spasmatic, anti-inflammatory, and angioprotective properties [ 6 , 16 , 17 , 18 ]. Tu Youyou, a Chinese pharmaceutical chemist, was awarded the Noble Prize in Physiology and Medicine [ 19 , 20 ] in 2015 for her efforts in extracting the artemisinin from A. annua L. [ 21 ] and synthesizing its derivatives, namely dihydroartemisinin [ 22 ], artemeter [ 23 ], and artesunate [ 24 ].…”