How can we prevent the viral activity?

Prevent the viral: The history of medicine is long and at her base are herbs and plants that have healing properties. More and more people are returning to the treatment with herbal medicines, as herbs have proven over time their positive effects and benefits for overall human health. Western medicine is also strongly influenced by this direction of herbs.

In this situation of difficult times, people seek decision and help by turning again to Mother Nature. Researches have been performed on the plants that would be useful in this case. What the results of botanical research show is that Artemisia annua is the best soldier in the army of herbs in the fight against COVID-19.

What do we know about Artemisia?

Common forms of Artemisia, also called wormwood, are Artemisia vulgaris and Artemisia annua. It is important to note that these are two different plants, although they are of the same genus.

What is the difference between them? Artemisia vulgaris is a moderately poisonous plant native to North Africa and Eurasia. Artemisia annua is called sweet wormwood and originates from Asia. They should be distinguished, as Artemisia annua is famous for its beneficial properties, unlike its cousin Artemisia vulgaris, which is its complete opposite.

The species belongs to the largest family of flowering plants Asteraceae. The plants enjoy a temperate climate and have a strong aroma. This is an annual plant that prefers sunny warm conditions and grows well at temperatures between 20^oC and 25^oC.

Studies have shown that the active substances derived from the herb Artemisia can be used in the treatment of glucose intolerance, HIV infections, pollen allergies, obesity, malaria and the treatment of certain cancers.

More recently, researchers have also begun to study the antiviral properties of Artemisia for the treatment of COVID-19.

Does it really work?

There are promising results for Artemisia as a means of combating the Coronavirus.

At the Southwestern College of Naturopathic Medicine in Tempe, Arizona, researchers are testing 30 herbs to determine the effect they have on protecting against the virus. The researchers extracted the compounds using 70% ethanol solvent and identified the metabolite artemisinin from more than 600 secondary metabolites in Artemisia annua.

Dr Johanne Gerstel, a researcher at the Rick Scalzo Institute, commented on the results: “We know that there is activity that inhibits the growth of the virus. We have a new and broad compound that has this anticoronavirus family effect. “

According to an article in Natural Products Insider, the researchers first identified sweet wormwood as a candidate for the treatment of COVID-19 and then tested various ethanol extracts to identify those that showed a beneficial effect. Solvents were also tested for artemisinin metabolites that are effective against the virus.

Studies that show that artemisinin affects the SARS-CoV-2 virus and has a promising role in inhibiting viruses do not stop there. PubMed, NCBI, ResearchGate and Google Scholar have revealed that Artemisia has antiviral and immunostimulatory potential against COVID-19. Moreover, in some African countries, the plant extract is said to have helped in the fight with the symptoms of COVID-19 in the general population.

Columbia University, the University of Washington, and Worcester Polytechnic have convinced themselves of their efforts and shown that Artemisia annua extract has antiviral activity against SARS-CoV-2.

The researchers used extracts from four different continents, all of which showed antiviral activity against SARS-CoV-2. The study, published in June 2021, found that Artemisia extract stopped the virus from replicating.

A curious fact to note is that the extracts have been tested on the virus multiplied in human cells. Although the extract does not seem to block the virus from entering the cell, actually it reduces the inflammatory response and blocks the infection after it enters. In addition, in this study, a sample extract from a dried leaf over 12 years of age was still effective.

What are the advantages of the plant? The plant has high levels of zinc, gallium and selenium. Zinc is known to stop virus replication in the cell; gallium reduces the forms of cytokines that increase the inflammatory response; and selenium regulates the concentration of CD4 lymphocytes.

However, it is important to note that Artemisia extract has given promising results in the treatment of COVID-19, reducing the potential for infection and the severity of the disease.

To date, researchers are still trying to determine the mechanism of action of artemisinin against the SARS-CoV-2. There is some evidence that it inhibits enzyme activity and stimulates adaptive immunity, which targets the virus and regulates proinflammatory cytokines.

What about the other properties of the Artemisia?

In the 70’s of the last century, the first discoverers of Artemisia annua as a means of combating malaria were Chinese scientists. Currently, artemisinin is used only in combination with other antimalarial drugs to prevent potential resistance to monotherapy. Moreover, the reduction in malaria deaths over the last 15 years is thought to be due to an increase in artemisinin-based combination therapies.

In August 2021, the World Health Organization announced that it would test three new drugs for patients with severe COVID-19. The drugs approved in August are artesunate, a derivative of artemisinin, as well as imatinib for cancer treatment and inflimaxima for the immune system. Each of the drugs is approved for use in other health conditions. The drug is considered very safe and the therapeutic advisory group recommended artesunate because of its anti-inflammatory properties.

During the SARS epidemic in 2003. Artemisia Annua has been tested again. After the outbreak of SARS in 2003, researchers began evaluating the effectiveness of various Chinese herbs against the virus. Four extracts showed promise, including Artemisia annua. Long before COVID-19, researchers isolated a class of compounds in sweet wormwood that showed activity against cancer, schistosomiasis and malaria.

More recently, the plant has been found to be bioactive against certain viruses such as cytomegalovirus, hepatitis B and C and members of the herpes family, including herpes virus type 1 and Epstein-Barr. After demonstrating antiviral ability in the lab, the researchers moved on to testing sweet wormwood in human experiments.

Did you know, that…?

•          Extracts from Artemisia annua have shown antiviral activity against SARS-CoV-2 in lab studies and are now inhuman clinical trials testing against COVID-19

•          Extracts from Artemisia have been studied as treatment for HIV infections, obesity, pollen allergies, glucoseintolerance and the treatment of some cancers; it has been a treatment for malaria for 30 years

•          The plant has high levels of zinc, gallium and selenium, all of which have known antiviral and anti-inflammatoryproperties. Extracts from Artemisia were also tested in 2003 after the SARS outbreak with positive outcome in the lab

•          In August 2021, the WHO included a derivative called artesunate in the next phase of the Solidarity trial testing drugs against COVID-19 but, to date, there is no definitive evidence that products from Artemisia are effective against COVID-19

VemoHerb Artemisia

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