Artemisia herba-alba
Encyclopedia
Artemisia herba-alba, also known as white wormwood, is a perennial shrub
in the Artemisia
genus that grows commonly on the steppes of the Mediterranean regions in Northern Africa, Western Asia and Southwestern Europe, and in the Arabian Peninsula
and Saharan Maghreb
xeric steppes. It is an herb used in traditional medicine
.
, “shīeḥ” (الشيح) in arabic, and referred as “la'anah” (לענה) in the Old Testament Hebrew.
are strongly aromatic and covered with fine glandular hairs
that reflect sunlight giving a grayish aspect to the shrub. The leaves of sterile shoots are grey, petiolate
, ovate to orbicular in outline; whereas, the leaves of flowering stems, more abundant in winter, are much smaller.
The flowering heads are sessile
, oblong and tapering at base. The plant flowers from September to December. The receptacle is naked with 2-5 yellowish hermaphrodite
flowers per head.
of A. herba-alba, from the Sinai Desert, contains mainly 1,8-cineole
and appreciable amounts of alpha and beta-thujone
as well as other oxygenated monoterpenes including terpinen-4-ol
, camphor
and borneol
. Davanone, chrysanthenone
and cis-chrysanthenol have been described as major constituents in some populations of A. herba-alba from Morocco
and Spain
. Less common non-head-to-tail monoterpene alcohols have been identified in some populations from Negev
desert, such as santolina alcohol and yomogi alcohol.
Eudesmanolide and germacranolide
sesquiterpenes have been detected in the methanol
extract of aerial parts, collected in Egypt
.
Two bioactive flavonoids, assumed to be hispidulin and cirsiliol, were isolated by chromatography from aerial parts ethyl acetate
-extract.
for grazing animals, mainly sheep, and in the Algerian steppes cattle.
and traditional medicine
for its antiseptic
, vermifuge and antispasmodic
properties. Artemisia herba-alba was reported as a traditional remedy of enteritis
, and various intestinal disturbances, among the Bedouins in the Negev desert. In fact, essential oil showed antibacterial
activity, as well as, antispasmodic
activity on rabbits.
A. herba-alba based teas were used in Iraq
i folk medicine for the treatment of diabetes mellitus
. Corroborating the traditional use, aqueous extract of aerial parts had shown an hypoglycemic effect in alloxan
-induced diabetic rabbits and mice.
Shrub
A shrub or bush is distinguished from a tree by its multiple stems and shorter height, usually under 5–6 m tall. A large number of plants may become either shrubs or trees, depending on the growing conditions they experience...
in the Artemisia
Artemisia (plant)
Artemisia is a large, diverse genus of plants with between 200 to 400 species belonging to the daisy family Asteraceae. It comprises hardy herbs and shrubs known for their volatile oils. They grow in temperate climates of the Northern Hemisphere and Southern Hemisphere, usually in dry or semi-dry...
genus that grows commonly on the steppes of the Mediterranean regions in Northern Africa, Western Asia and Southwestern Europe, and in the Arabian Peninsula
Arabian Peninsula
The Arabian Peninsula is a land mass situated north-east of Africa. Also known as Arabia or the Arabian subcontinent, it is the world's largest peninsula and covers 3,237,500 km2...
and Saharan Maghreb
Maghreb
The Maghreb is the region of Northwest Africa, west of Egypt. It includes five countries: Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, and Mauritania and the disputed territory of Western Sahara...
xeric steppes. It is an herb used in traditional medicine
Traditional medicine
Traditional medicine comprises unscientific knowledge systems that developed over generations within various societies before the era of modern medicine...
.
Common names
Artemisia herba-alba is called "White wormwood" in english, “Armoise blanche” in frenchFrench language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
, “shīeḥ” (الشيح) in arabic, and referred as “la'anah” (לענה) in the Old Testament Hebrew.
Botanical description
Artemisia herba-alba is a chamaeophyte that grows to 20–40 cm (7.9–15.7 in). LeavesLeaf
A leaf is an organ of a vascular plant, as defined in botanical terms, and in particular in plant morphology. Foliage is a mass noun that refers to leaves as a feature of plants....
are strongly aromatic and covered with fine glandular hairs
Trichome
Trichomes are fine outgrowths or appendages on plants and certain protists. These are of diverse structure and function. Examples are hairs, glandular hairs, scales, and papillae.- Algal trichomes :...
that reflect sunlight giving a grayish aspect to the shrub. The leaves of sterile shoots are grey, petiolate
Petiole (botany)
In botany, the petiole is the stalk attaching the leaf blade to the stem. The petiole usually has the same internal structure as the stem. Outgrowths appearing on each side of the petiole are called stipules. Leaves lacking a petiole are called sessile, or clasping when they partly surround the...
, ovate to orbicular in outline; whereas, the leaves of flowering stems, more abundant in winter, are much smaller.
The flowering heads are sessile
Sessility (botany)
In botany, sessility is a characteristic of plants whose flowers or leaves are borne directly from the stem or peduncle, and thus lack a petiole or pedicel...
, oblong and tapering at base. The plant flowers from September to December. The receptacle is naked with 2-5 yellowish hermaphrodite
Hermaphrodite
In biology, a hermaphrodite is an organism that has reproductive organs normally associated with both male and female sexes.Many taxonomic groups of animals do not have separate sexes. In these groups, hermaphroditism is a normal condition, enabling a form of sexual reproduction in which both...
flowers per head.
Phytochemistry
Essential oilEssential oil
An essential oil is a concentrated hydrophobic liquid containing volatile aroma compounds from plants. Essential oils are also known as volatile oils, ethereal oils or aetherolea, or simply as the "oil of" the plant from which they were extracted, such as oil of clove...
of A. herba-alba, from the Sinai Desert, contains mainly 1,8-cineole
Eucalyptol
Eucalyptol is a natural organic compound which is a colorless liquid. It is a cyclic ether and a monoterpenoid.Eucalyptol is also known by a variety of synonyms: 1,8-cineol, 1,8-cineole, limonene oxide, cajeputol, 1,8-epoxy-p-menthane, 1,8-oxido-p-menthane, eucalyptol, eucalyptole,...
and appreciable amounts of alpha and beta-thujone
Thujone
Thujone is a ketone and a monoterpene that occurs naturally in two diastereomeric forms: -α-thujone and -β-thujone. It has a menthol odor. Even though it is best known as a chemical compound in the spirit absinthe, recent tests show absinthe contains only small quantities of thujone, and may or may...
as well as other oxygenated monoterpenes including terpinen-4-ol
Terpinen-4-ol
Terpinen-4-ol is a terpene with a molecular weight of 154.249.It is considered the primary active ingredient of tea tree oil. It is also the compound of highest concentration in the essential oil of nutmeg.-Additional images:...
, camphor
Camphor
Camphor is a waxy, white or transparent solid with a strong, aromatic odor. It is a terpenoid with the chemical formula C10H16O. It is found in wood of the camphor laurel , a large evergreen tree found in Asia and also of Dryobalanops aromatica, a giant of the Bornean forests...
and borneol
Borneol
Borneol is a bicyclic organic compound and a terpene. The hydroxyl group in this compound is placed in an endo position.Borneol is easily oxidized to the ketone yielding camphor. One historical name for borneol is Borneo camphor which explains the name. Borneol can be synthesized by reduction of...
. Davanone, chrysanthenone
Chrysanthenone
Chrysanthenone is a terpene. It can be produced from its isomer verbenone in a photochemical rearrangement reaction.-External links:*...
and cis-chrysanthenol have been described as major constituents in some populations of A. herba-alba from Morocco
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
and Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
. Less common non-head-to-tail monoterpene alcohols have been identified in some populations from Negev
Negev
The Negev is a desert and semidesert region of southern Israel. The Arabs, including the native Bedouin population of the region, refer to the desert as al-Naqab. The origin of the word Neghebh is from the Hebrew root denoting 'dry'...
desert, such as santolina alcohol and yomogi alcohol.
Eudesmanolide and germacranolide
Germacranolide
Germacranolides are a group of natural chemical compounds classified as sesquiterpene lactones. They are found in a variety of plant sources....
sesquiterpenes have been detected in the methanol
Methanol
Methanol, also known as methyl alcohol, wood alcohol, wood naphtha or wood spirits, is a chemical with the formula CH3OH . It is the simplest alcohol, and is a light, volatile, colorless, flammable liquid with a distinctive odor very similar to, but slightly sweeter than, ethanol...
extract of aerial parts, collected in Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
.
Two bioactive flavonoids, assumed to be hispidulin and cirsiliol, were isolated by chromatography from aerial parts ethyl acetate
Ethyl acetate
Ethyl acetate is the organic compound with the formula CH3COOCH2CH3. This colorless liquid has a characteristic sweet smell and is used in glues, nail polish removers, and cigarettes...
-extract.
Uses
Artemisia herba-alba is good fodderFodder
Fodder or animal feed is any agricultural foodstuff used specifically to feed domesticated livestock such as cattle, goats, sheep, horses, chickens and pigs. Most animal feed is from plants but some is of animal origin...
for grazing animals, mainly sheep, and in the Algerian steppes cattle.
Medicinal uses
This species of sagebrush is widely used in folkFolk medicine
-Description:Refers to healing practices and ideas of body physiology and health preservation known to a limited segment of the population in a culture, transmitted informally as general knowledge, and practiced or applied by anyone in the culture having prior experience.All cultures and societies...
and traditional medicine
Traditional medicine
Traditional medicine comprises unscientific knowledge systems that developed over generations within various societies before the era of modern medicine...
for its antiseptic
Antiseptic
Antiseptics are antimicrobial substances that are applied to living tissue/skin to reduce the possibility of infection, sepsis, or putrefaction...
, vermifuge and antispasmodic
Antispasmodic
An antispasmodic is a drug or a herb that suppresses muscle spasms.-Smooth muscle spasm:One type of antispasmodics is used for smooth muscle contraction, especially in tubular organs of the gastrointestinal tract...
properties. Artemisia herba-alba was reported as a traditional remedy of enteritis
Gastroenteritis
Gastroenteritis is marked by severe inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract involving both the stomach and small intestine resulting in acute diarrhea and vomiting. It can be transferred by contact with contaminated food and water...
, and various intestinal disturbances, among the Bedouins in the Negev desert. In fact, essential oil showed antibacterial
Antimicrobial
An anti-microbial is a substance that kills or inhibits the growth of microorganisms such as bacteria, fungi, or protozoans. Antimicrobial drugs either kill microbes or prevent the growth of microbes...
activity, as well as, antispasmodic
Antispasmodic
An antispasmodic is a drug or a herb that suppresses muscle spasms.-Smooth muscle spasm:One type of antispasmodics is used for smooth muscle contraction, especially in tubular organs of the gastrointestinal tract...
activity on rabbits.
A. herba-alba based teas were used in Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
i folk medicine for the treatment of diabetes mellitus
Diabetes mellitus
Diabetes mellitus, often simply referred to as diabetes, is a group of metabolic diseases in which a person has high blood sugar, either because the body does not produce enough insulin, or because cells do not respond to the insulin that is produced...
. Corroborating the traditional use, aqueous extract of aerial parts had shown an hypoglycemic effect in alloxan
Alloxan
Alloxan is an oxygenated pyrimidine derivative. It is present as alloxan hydrate in aqueous solution.-History:...
-induced diabetic rabbits and mice.
External links
- Details for: Artemisia herba-alba - The Euro+Med Plantbase. - Retrieved 19 February 2010.
- Sahara-Nature: Artemisia herba-alba -Retrieved 19 February 2010.