This short post is once again about my favorite plant: Artemisia annua.
The title “naturally completely ineffective” was already intended ironically at the time. I wanted to respond to a black-and-white debate that seemed far too simplistic to me.
Artemisia annua is the source of artemisinin, a natural compound that became the starting point for important pharmaceutical developments. Semisynthetic active ingredients such as artesunate were developed from it, among others.
Even in 2018, I found it fascinating how far-reaching the research surrounding this group of compounds was. While browsing, I came across papers from many different fields of research.
What I would distinguish more carefully today than I did back then: A study on artemisinin, artesunate, or a specific plant extract initially says exactly something about the substance or extract studied—not automatically about the whole plant, nor about our tincture.
That does not diminish its fascination for me. On the contrary: These very differences are what make Artemisia annua so scientifically interesting.
We tell the whole story of this plant in our Adaptopedia on Artemisia annua. A second part of that research journey from back then can be found here.
Here are some of the papers and patents I came across back then:
US Patent Office:
Methods of inhibition or killing cancer cells using an endoperoxide
EU Patent Office:
QINGHAOSU DERIVATIVES AGAINST AIDS
PUB MED:
Ethnopharmacology in overdrive: the remarkable anti-HIV activity of Artemisia annua
A Drug Combination Screen Identifies Drugs Active against Amoxicillin-Induced Round Bodies of In Vitro Borrelia burgdorferi Persisters from an FDA Drug Library
OXFORD ACADEMIC:
The Antiviral Activities of Artemisinin and Artesunate
AFRICAN SOCIOLOGICAL REVIEW:
