New Evidence for Artemisia absinthium L. Application in Gastrointestinal Ailments: Ethnopharmacology, Antimicrobial Capacity, Cytotoxicity, and Phenolic Profile

Abstract

Artemisia absinthium L. (Asteraceae) is traditionally used for gastrointestinal ailments and disorders linked to numerous risk factors including microbial infections. We aimed to provide contemporary evidence for its ethnopharmacological use and determine its antimicrobial capacity and mode of action, cytotoxicity, and phenolic constituents. Ethnopharmacological survey was conducted using semistructured interviews. Antimicrobial and antibiofilm capacities were determined by microdilution/crystal violet assay, respectively. Modes of action tested include estimation of exopolysaccharide production (congo red binding assay) and interference with membrane integrity (crystal violet uptake and nucleotide leakage assay). Cytotoxicity was determined using crystal violet assay. Polyphenolic profiling was done by advanced liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (UHPLC-LTQ OrbiTrap MS). Artemisia absinthium in Serbia is traditionally used for gastrointestinal disorders, among others. Further study revealed high antifungal capacity of herb ethanolic extract towards range of Candida species (MIC 0.5–1 mg/mL) along with promising antibacterial activities (MIC 0.25–4 mg/mL). Interference with membrane integrity could be observed as a possible antimicrobial mechanism. Antibiofilm potential can be considered as high (towards C. krusei) to limited (towards P. aeruginosa) and moderate based on reduction in exopolysaccharide content. In concentrations up to 400 µg/mL, no cytotoxicity was observed towards HaCaT and HGF-1 cell lines. Polyphenolic analysis revealed twenty-one different constituents. A. absinthium usage as a gastrointestinal ailment remedy has been confirmed in vitro by its antimicrobial capacity towards microorganisms whose presence is linked to the diseases and associated complications and noncytotoxic nature of the natural product. The observed activities could be attributed to the present phenolic compounds.

Bioactive Compounds and Functional Properties of Herbal Preparations of Cystus creticus L. Collected From Rhodes Island

“…Moreover, we tested the capacity of each extract to inhibit biofilm formation using P. aeruginosa PA01 stain. Each test was performed in triplicate, using ampicillin and streptomycin as positive controls ( 23 , 24 ).…”

Emerging Antifungal Targets and Strategies

“…Extract from Artemisia absinthium displayed antibiofilm activities, as indicated by crystal violet assay, with reduction in EPS production possibly contributing to its antibiofilm effect. A. absinthium mechanism of antimicrobial activity is the disturbance of membrane integrity, as indicated by crystal violet uptake and nucleotide leakage assays [ 59 ]. Likewise, extract obtained from Ononis spinosa displayed antibiofilm potential towards three Candida strains, while its contributing antifungal mechanism was interference with membrane integrity [ 86 ].…”

New Evidence for Artemisia absinthium as an Alternative to Classical Antibiotics: Chemical Analysis of Phenolic Compounds, Screening for Antimicrobial Activity

“…Based on the PRs of DPI at m/z 191.06 to m/z 163.04, 3 pcoumaroylquinic acids were identified [31]. Additionally, four dicaffeoylquinic acids (#67, #70, #73, #79), one tricaffeoylquinic acid (#83), and three feruloylquinic acids (#48, #54, #58) were identified, referring to the literature data [33][34][35].…”