artemisinin

Artemisia annua, a medicinal plant with a history dating back over two millennia, has been recognized in ancient Asian and European medical texts as a remedy for a wide range of ailments. The World Health Organization (WHO) has endorsed this plant for the treatment of malaria. Traditionally, decoctions of the whole plant have been used to treat diseases such as malaria, cough, and cold. The dried leaf powder is employed to treat diarrhea. The entire flowering plant exhibits a multitude of therapeutic properties, including anthelmintic, antipyretic, antiseptic, and digestive aid. In addition, it can invigorate the body and improve gastric function. Artemisia annua contains a highly significant compound, artemisinin, which serves as the primary constituent of medications used globally to treat malaria. Furthermore, research has demonstrated artemisinin's ability to eradicate breast cancer cells. Tea prepared from Artemisia annua is utilized to manage HIV/AIDS. Recent scientific studies have extensively investigated the plant's antiviral effects on the HIV virus. Given the widespread prevalence of AIDS worldwide, these studies hold immense importance. Through this review, we aim to illuminate the significance and therapeutic applications of Artemisia annua. It is our hope that this study will contribute to a deeper understanding of this plant and its role in promoting public health.

Despite significant efforts, the artemisinin-based drugs are still very expensive due to the limited production of this metabolite within wild Artemisia spp . plants. Therefore, the current work set out to evaluate the effect of chitosan nanoparticles, as a novel elicitor to characterize the expression of genes functioning in artemisinin synthesis pathway using a comparative experimental investigation.

The suspensioncultures of A. anuua were exposed to 5, 10, 15 mg/L of chitosan nanoparticles (during 8, 24, 48 and 72 h upon treatment). The expression of DBR2, SQS, CYp , ADS, CPR and ALDH genes were quantified by qRT-PCR technique.

Chitosan nanoparticles were effective in inducing artemisinin production at 15 mg/L after 8 h, and 5 and 10 mg/L after 72 h of elicitation, in which all the ADS, CYp , CPR, DBR2 and ALDH genes were upregulated except SQS.

The treatment of 5 mg/L after 72 h, when cells entered the stationary and then death phases, is recommended because it seems chitosan nanoparticles require more time to up-regulate the ADS, CYP and ALDH genes and thereby probably enhance the artemisinin content. The results suggest that chitosan nanoparticles can be used as a novel effective elicitor for artemisinin production.