The pharmacophylogenetic relationships of two edible medicinal plants in the genus Artemisia

Abstract

Artemisia argyi and Artemisia indica are edible medicinal plants belonging to the genus Artemisia in the Asteraceae. There are many similarities in their morphology, traditional curative effect, and modern pharmacological treatment. In this study, we built distribution maps of A. argyi and A. indica in China and a phylogenetic tree of common medicinal plants in Asteraceae. Then, we verified the chemical composition changes of A. argyi and A. indica via their metabolome. Traditional efficacy and modern pharmacological action were verified by network pharmacology and in vitro using RAW264.7 cells. The results showed that A. argyi and A. indica are widely distributed in China, and they shared pharmaphylogeny, which provides theoretical support for the mixed use of A. argyi and A. indica in most regions of China. Furthermore, there were both similarities and differences in volatile oil and flavonoid composition between A. argyi and A. indica. The network pharmacology results showed that A. argyi and A. indica had 23 common active compounds and that both had pharmacological effects on chronic gastritis (CG). Molecular docking analyses showed that quercetin, luteolin, and kaempferol have strong binding affinities with the target proteins JUN, TP53, AKT1, MAPK3, TNF, MAPK, and IL6. The cell experiment results further demonstrated that A. argyi and A. indica treat CG via the NOD-like receptor pathway. Based on the theory of pharmaphylogeny, this study explored the pharmaphylogeny between A. argyi and A. indica from various perspectives to provide a basis for the substitution of A. argyi and A. indica.

Complete chloroplast genomes of eight Artemisia species: Comparative analysis, molecular identification, and phylogenetic analysis

“…These species contain various medicinal ingredients, but if misnamed as A. argyi, the safety and effectiveness of the medicine will be affected. (Cui et al 2022). In previous studies, molecular barcodes were designed to identify A. argyi and any adulterants using the ITS2 sequence and psbA-trnH sequence (Mei et al 2017), but these molecular markers have limitations and cannot identify all adulterants.…”

“…(Cui et al . 2022). In previous studies, molecular barcodes were designed to identify A. argyi and any adulterants using the ITS2 sequence and psbA‐trnH sequence (Mei et al .…”

“…A few species are found in tropical regions, such as Africa, South Asia and Central America (Jiao et al 2023). In China, this genus harbours 186 species and 44 varieties (Cui et al 2022), many of which have been used to treat malaria, tumours, allergies, hypotension, inflammation, and other diseases. These plants are also used as food for livestock, in windbreaks and for sand fixation, making it a medicinally and economic valuable genus (Lee et al 2009).…”

Sesquiterpene Lactones and Flavonoid from the Leaves of Basin Big Sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata subsp. tridentata): Isolation, Characterization and Biological Activities

“…Artemisia is widely distributed and considered the largest member of the Asteraceae (Sunflower) family [ 3 ]. As they are rich in bioactive components, such as terpenes, sesquiterpene lactones (SLs), phenolic acids, flavonoids, sterols, fatty acids, lignans and acetylenes, among others [ 4 ], these plant species have garnered huge attention in pharmaceutical [ 5 ] and food industries [ 6 ]. Artemisia is an aromatic shrub native to a variety of habitats and climates which range from cold desert conditions to the intermountain states of the United States.…”

Genome-Wide Identification and Expression Profiling of MYB transcription factors in Artemisia argyi

“…The high medical and economic values of A. argyi were due to the existence of a large number of secondary metabolites such as volatile oils, avonoids, terpenoids, phenolic acids, and other compounds [12]. Terpenes (eucalyptol, thujone, borneol) and avonoids (eupatilin, jaceosidin) are the main material foundation for pharmacological effects [13].…”