Review
Immunology
Hanan S. Al-Khalaifah
Summary: Leishmaniasis is a significant global health problem with a high number of new cases and a large population at risk. Understanding the determinants of Leishmania pathogenicity and its survival mechanisms is important for developing effective treatments and vaccines.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Meizhu He, Kamarya Yasin, Shaoqi Yu, Jinyao Li, Lijie Xia
Summary: In this experiment, ultrasound-assisted enzymatic hydrolysis was used to improve the yield of total flavonoids in Artemisia absinthium L., and molecular docking and network pharmacology were combined to predict its core constituent targets and evaluate its antitumor activity. The main components in Artemisia absinthium L. were found to have inhibitory effects on cervical cancer by regulating several signaling proteins, and the anticancer activity was associated with the ErbB signaling pathway and FoxO signaling pathway.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Elena Neagu, Gabriela Paun, Camelia Albu, Oana Teodora Apreutesei, Gabriel Lucian Radu
Summary: This study analyzed the potential of Artemisia absinthium, Artemisia vulgaris, and Trigonella foenum-graecum herbs in treating diabetes and inflammatory diseases. The extracts of these herbs showed significant inhibitory activity, indicating their potential as natural remedies.
Article
Microbiology
Yun-Fu Chen, Si-Fei Yu, Chang-You Wu, Na Wu, Jia Shen, Juan Shen, Jiang-Mei Gao, Yan-Zi Wen, Geoff Hide, De-Hua Lai, Zhao-Rong Lun
Summary: Leishmania infection in humans can lead to varied clinical symptoms, with outcomes influenced by both host and parasite factors. While inbred mouse strains show resistance to Leishmania major but susceptibility to Leishmania amazonensis, rats are highly resistant to L. amazonensis. The Nos2 gene appears to play a crucial role in mediating this resistance, highlighting the importance of distinct macrophage properties in innate immunity to Leishmania infections.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Chunyu Jiang, Shixing Zhou, Lin Liu, Zokir Toshmatov, Ling Huang, Kai Shi, Chi Zhang, Hua Shao
Summary: The chemical profile and phytotoxicity of Artemisia absinthium essential oil were investigated, identifying linalool as the major active compound responsible for its suppressive activity on receiver species. This study highlights the potential value of the essential oil and its major constituents as environmentally friendly herbicides.
ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Aretha Chan, Jose-Mauricio Ayala, Fernando Alvarez, Ciriaco Piccirillo, George Dong, David Langlais, Martin Olivier
Summary: This study analyzed the early innate inflammatory events during L. major infection, confirming the significant role of the virulence factor GP63 in providing favorable conditions for host cell infection. The data suggest that GP63 does not greatly influence pathogen-induced inflammatory cell recruitment, but rather affects their activation status and effector function, as well as potentially influencing the internalization of promastigotes during early infection.
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Asmae Hbika, Nour Elhouda Daoudi, Abdelhamid Bouyanzer, Mohamed Bouhrim, Hicham Mohti, El Hassania Loukili, Hamza Mechchate, Rashad Al-Salahi, Fahd A. Nasr, Mohamed Bnouham, Abdelhamid Zaid
Summary: This study analyzed the chemical composition of Artemisia absinthium extracts and evaluated their effects on pancreatic alpha-amylase and intestinal alpha-glucosidase enzymes. The extracts showed high polyphenol and flavonoid content and exhibited antioxidant and enzyme inhibitory activities. The aqueous extract also demonstrated blood glucose-lowering effects.
Article
Microbiology
Manjunath Bettadapura, Hayden Roys, Anne Bowlin, Gopinath Venugopal, Charity L. Washam, Lucy Fry, Steven Murdock, Humphrey Wanjala, Stephanie D. Byrum, Tiffany Weinkopff
Summary: Leishmanial skin lesions are characterized by inflammatory hypoxia and the activation of hypoxia-inducible factors. The factors responsible for HIF-alpha activation during infection are not fully known, but both hypoxia and proinflammatory stimuli may contribute to this. HIF-alpha activation in macrophages promotes lymphatic remodeling through VEGF-A production, but has no impact on parasite internalization or control.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Edna Gicela Ortiz Morea, Elton Jose Rosas Vasconcelos, Cristiane de Santis Alves, Selma Giorgio, Peter J. Myler, Helio Langoni, Claus Maria Azzalin, Maria Isabel Nogueira Cano
Summary: TERRA, a noncoding RNA crucial for telomere regulation, is transcribed from the subtelomeric region in various life stages of parasites and shares conserved features with other eukaryotes. Additionally, TERRA may control telomere length changes through regulating telomeric base J levels, while also playing a role in telomere protection, especially in infective forms of parasites.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL MACROMOLECULES
(2021)
Article
Microbiology
Tiago R. Ferreira, Ehud Inbar, Jahangheer Shaik, Brendan M. Jeffrey, Kashinath Ghosh, Deborah E. Dobson, Stephen M. Beverley, David Sacks
Summary: Leishmania, a parasitic protozoa that causes various diseases collectively known as leishmaniases, has been found to undergo sexual reproduction inside the sand fly vector midgut. This study provides the first high resolution, whole-genome sequencing analysis of self-mating in Leishmania, revealing that self-hybridization can occur with comparable frequency as interstrain mating under experimental lab conditions, leading to important genomic alterations that can potentially take place within every naturally infected sand fly.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Ankita Srivastava, Arathi Nair, Surya P. Pandey, George Eduardo Gabriel Kluck, Ines Mesquita, Tithi Ghosh, Anamika Bose, Rathindranath Baral, Ricardo Silvestre, Neelam Bodhale, Bhaskar Saha
Summary: TLR2 ligands selectively modulate the expression of Ras isoforms in macrophages, which is regulated by MyD88, TIRAP, and IRAKs, but not by IL-10 or TGF-13 signaling.
Article
Plant Sciences
Braulio M. Fraga, Carmen E. Diaz, Maria Bailen, Azucena Gonzalez-Coloma
Summary: Three new compounds were isolated from a cultivated variety of Artemisia absinthium, including the sesquiterpenes absilactone and hansonlactone and the acetophenone derivative ajenjol. The biotransformation of the major lactone 3 alpha-hydroxypelenolide by the fungus Mucor plumbeus resulted in the corresponding 1 beta, 10 alpha-epoxide. These compounds showed strong antifeedant and cytotoxic effects, with the biotransformed compounds also demonstrating antifeedant postingestive effects against Spodoptera littoralis.
Article
Plant Sciences
Thaise Boeing, Josiane de Souza, Rita de Cassia Vilhena da Silva, Lusia Nathalia Bolda Mariano, Luisa Mota da Silva, Guilherme Moreschi Gerhardt, Sylvian Cretton, Luiz Carlos Klein-Junior, Priscila de Souza
Summary: This study evaluated the gastroprotective effect of aqueous extracts obtained from Artemisia absinthium on rats and found that the room-temperature aqueous extract had a protective effect on gastric ulcers, possibly by maintaining the integrity of the gastric mucosal barrier.
JOURNAL OF ETHNOPHARMACOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Karen A. Ghazaryan, Hasmik S. Movsesyan, Tatiana M. Minkina, Dina G. Nevidomskaya, Vishnu D. Rajput
Summary: The study found that Artemisia absinthium is well-adapted to growing in copper-contaminated soils and plant growth in contaminated soil can be restored using ammonium nitrate. The plant can accumulate high levels of copper in its roots without transferring this metal to the above-ground part, making it suitable for remediation without chelating agents. For phytoextraction, chemical amendments are needed to enhance copper bioavailability and transport it to the above-ground parts, with the combination of NH4NO3, citric acid, and malic acid being the most effective approach.
ENVIRONMENTAL GEOCHEMISTRY AND HEALTH
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Sandra Saunoriute, Ona Ragazinskiene, Liudas Ivanauskas, Mindaugas Marksa, Kristina Lauzike, Lina Raudone
Summary: In the past ten years, there has been a particular focus on Artemisia L. genus plants and their chemical composition. This study aimed to determine the variation in polyphenols in two Artemisia species at different growth stages and evaluate their antioxidant activity. The research found significant differences in phenolic compound diversity among Artemisia species during vegetation stages, with chlorogenic acid, 3,5-dicaffeoylquinic acid, and rutin being the predominant compounds.