Artemisia annua – Importance in Traditional Medicine and Current State of Knowledge on the Chemistry, Biological Activity and Possible Applications

Abstract Artemisia annua (annual mugwort) is a species that has long been used in traditional Asian medicine, mainly Chinese and Hindu. The widespread known as medicinal plant not only Asia but also Europe, both Americas, Australia. become subject of particular interest due to the 2015 Nobel Prize awarded for detecting sesquiterpene lactone artemisinin it proving its antimalarial activities. raw materials obtained from this are Artemisiae annuae folium herba. leaves material Pharmacopoeia Vietnamese Pharmacopoeia. Both International published by WHO. main components these specific lactones, essential oil, flavonoids, coumarins, phenolic acids. In used, example, treatment jaundice bacterial dysentery, an antipyretic agent malaria tuberculosis, wounds haemorrhoids, viral, bacterial, autoimmune diseases. Professional pharmacological studies conducted today have confirmed applications explain previously unknown mechanisms biological action found evidence new directions activity, including, among others, anti-inflammatory, analgesic, antioxidant, antitumour, nephroprotective growing importance cosmetics industry.