Today, we’re talking about Artemisia annua, sweet wormwood.
The plant has a long history in traditional Chinese herbal medicine. It gained international recognition primarily through the discovery of artemisinin and the modern malaria treatment developed from it.
Later, artemisinin and pharmaceutical derivatives such as artesunate were also studied in other fields of research, including cancer research.
I found that exceptionally fascinating even back then. And this is precisely where a clear distinction is important: research on artemisinin or artesunate is not the same as research on Artemisia annua as a whole plant.
What fascinates me more is that an ancient cultivated plant could become the starting point for modern pharmacological research. That is exactly why Artemisia annua remains such a special plant to me to this day.
You can find more about the research on artemisinin derivatives at the time in Artemisia annua: The Dynamite in Sweet Wormwood. Our Adaptopedia entry on Artemisia annua provides a comprehensive overview of the plant.