Artemisia annua

Artemisia annua, also known as sweet wormwood, is a common type of wormwood native to temperate Asia, but naturalized in many countries including scattered parts of North America.

Description

Artemisia annua belongs to the plant family of Asteraceae and is an annual short-day plant. Its stem is erect, smooth, and of a yellowish-brown color. The leaves of the plant have a length of 3–5 cm and are divided by deep cuts into two or three small leaflets.

Cultivation

The plant is harvested at the end of summer, just before flowering. While it can grow in a variety of climates, it typically prefers a warm temperate climate. It can be propagated by seeds or cuttings.

Uses

Artemisia annua has been used in Chinese medicine for more than 2000 years in the treatment of many illnesses, such as skin diseases and malaria. The plant is used in traditional Chinese medicine under the name Qing Hao and is known in western medicine for the anti-malarial agent artemisinin.

Artemisinin

Artemisinin is a drug derived from the Artemisia annua plant. It is used to treat malaria, a disease caused by parasites that enter the body through the bite of a mosquito. Artemisinin is often used in combination with other anti-malarial drugs to increase its effectiveness and reduce the risk of resistance.

Research

Research into the plant has been ongoing since the 1970s when Chinese scientists discovered that the plant contained artemisinin, which had anti-malarial properties. Since then, the plant and its derivatives have been the subject of much research, particularly in the field of pharmacology and medicine.

See also

• Artemisinin
• Malaria
• Traditional Chinese medicine
• Pharmacology