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Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Dermatophytes are notorious pathogens capable of infecting various mammals skin, posing serious threats to human health and overall life quality worldwide. Artemisia argyi has been recorded and applied for over a thousand years to treat skin itching. Although it has the potential to be developed as a plant-based antifungal agent, it's antifungal activity and action mechanism of active ingredients are still unclear., Aim of the Study: The aim of this study was to investigate the chemical composition, antifungal activity against skin fungi, and potential mechanisms of Artemisia argyi essential oil (AEO)., Materials and Methods: The chemical composition of AEO was analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) firstly. Flat growth restraint and double half dilution tests was performed to evaluate AEO antifungal activity against Microsporum gypseum, Trichophyton mentagrophytes, and Trichophyton rubrum. And then, the physiological mechanism of AEO inhibiting dermatophytes was systematically explored through scanning electron microscopy, relative conductivity, membrane leakage, ROS content, and antioxidant enzyme activity. Finally, the main pathways were screened through transcriptome sequencing, while the related genes expression levels and enzyme activity were validated., Results: Monoterpenes and sesquiterpenoids were the most highly representative class of AEO. AEO had powerful antifungal activity against M. gypseum, T. mentagrophytes, and T. rubrum, with minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values of 0.6, 1.2, and 1.2 μL/mL, respectively. Moreover, AEO can also damage the cell membrane integrity of T. mentagrophytes, resulting in cellular extravasation of intracellular substances. Transcriptome analysis revealed that the main target of AEO is to inhibit electron transfer and oxidative phosphorylation during respiration, ultimately leading to obstruction of normal ATP synthesis and energy metabolism in mitochondria. And a large amount of ROS will generate due to the incompletely catalysis of oxygen under mitochondrial complexes. Coupled with the decrease of antioxidant enzyme (SOD, POD) activity, excessive accumulation of ROS will cause serious oxidative damage to cells and eventually exhibiting antifungal activity against dermatophytes., Conclusions: The present study demonstrated that Artemisia argyi was a valuable source of active compounds with antifungal activity. These findings support AEO as a potential agent to inhibit dermatophytes and prevent related dermatophytoses., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: Allelopathy is expressed through the release of plant chemicals and is considered a natural alternative for sustainable weed management. Artemisia argyi (A. argyi) is widely distributed throughout Asia, and often dominates fields due to its strong allelopathy. However, the mechanism of A. argyi allelopathy is largely unknown and need to be elucidated at the physiological and molecular levels., Results: In this study, we used electron microscopy, ionomics analysis, phytohormone profiling, and transcriptome analysis to investigate the physiological and molecular mechanisms of A. argyi allelopathy using the model plant rice (Oryza sativa) as receptor plants. A. argyi water extract (AAWE)-treated rice plants grow poorly and display root morphological anomalies and leaf yellowing. We found that AAWE significantly inhibits rice growth by destroying the root and leaf system in multiple ways, including the integrity of ultrastructure, reactive oxygen species (ROS) homeostasis, and the accumulation of soluble sugar and chlorophyll synthesis. Further detection of the hormone contents suggests that AAWE leads to indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) accumulation in roots. Moreover, ionomics analysis shows that AAWE inhibits the absorption and transportation of photosynthesis-essential mineral elements, especially Mg, Fe, and Mn. In addition, the results of transcriptome analysis revealed that AAWE affects a series of crucial primary metabolic processes comprising photosynthesis in rice plants., Conclusions: This study indicates that A. argyi realizes its strongly allelopathy through comprehensive effects on recipient plants including large-scale IAA synthesis and accumulation, ROS explosion, damaging the membrane system and organelles, and obstructing ion absorption and transport, photosynthesis and other pivotal primary metabolic processes of plants. Therefore, AAWE could potentially be developed as an environmentally friendly botanical herbicide due to its strong allelopathic effects., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Allelopathy is considered an environmentally friendly and resource-conserving approach to weed control because allelochemicals degrade easily and cause less pollution than traditional chemical herbicides. In this study, the allelopathic active constituents of Artemisia argyi were elucidated by activity-guided isolation and ultraperformance liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-QTOF-MS). First, a crude extract prepared in water was fractionated using macroporous resin D101 to obtain three fractions (Fr.A-C). Combined with the allelopathic activity assay on Setaria viridis and Portulaca oleracea , Fr.C was determined to be the most active fraction. We identified 14 compounds in the active fraction (Fr.C) using UPLC-QTOF-MS, including 13 phenolic compounds. Accordingly, phenolic components have been suggested as the main allelochemicals in A. argyi . Thereafter, Fr.C was further isolated by octadecylsilyl (ODS) chromatography to obtain eight subfractions (Fr.C-1-Fr.C-8). Finally, isochlorogenic acid A (ICGAA) was purified from Fr.C-3 by semipreparative liquid chromatography, which was detected in the growth environment of A. argyi . Furthermore, we evaluated the allelopathic effects of ICGAA on six weeds from different families and genera for the first time. The results showed that ICGAA is a novel allelochemical with broad herbicidal activity. In addition, we analyzed the inhibitory effect and molecular mechanism of ICGAA on the growth of S. viridis seedlings. Optical microscopy and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) revealed the degradation of membrane structures and organelles after ICGAA treatment. Transcriptome and real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) analysis showed that ICGAA inhibited the growth of weeds mainly by inhibiting the diterpenoid biosynthesis pathway (especially gibberellins, GAs). The decrease of gibberellin (GA) contents after ICGAA treatment also confirmed these results. In brief, this study provides new material sources and theoretical support for developing biological herbicides for agroecosystems.

Aims: This study investigated the antifungal activity and mechanisms of ethyl acetate extract of Artemisia argyi (EAAA) against Verticillium dahliae., Methods and Results: Optical and scanning electron microscopy observation showed that 2.0 mg ml -1 EAAA treatment reduced spore germination rate to 4.56%. Histochemical staining showed that 2.0 mg ml -1 EAAA treatment increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) by more than two times. Physiological test showed that EAAA treatment decreased the contents of soluble proteins and sugars, and reduced the activities of malate dehydrogenase and succinate dehydrogenase by nearly half. Transcriptome analysis showed that EAAA treatment down-regulated the expression of genes involved in primary metabolic pathways of V. dahliae., Conclusions: Our results revealed that EAAA inhibited the growth and development of V. dahliae from multiple levels and multiple targets, including inhibiting the germination and development of V. dahliae spores, destroying the structure of cell membranes, inducing ROS burst, reducing the activities of respiratory-related enzymes and down-regulating the expression of genes in primary metabolic pathways., Significance and Impact of the Study: The mechanism of the multitarget effects of EAAA against V. dahliae may limit the potential of fungus developing resistance and provide the efficient methods to control verticillium wilt disease in the future., (© 2021 The Society for Applied Microbiology.)

Allelopathy means that one plant produces chemical substances to affect the growth and development of other plants. Usually, allelochemicals can stimulate or inhibit the germination and growth of plants, which have been considered as potential strategy for drug development of environmentally friendly biological herbicides. Obviously, the discovery of plant materials with extensive sources, low cost and markedly allelopathic effect will have far-reaching ecological impacts as the biological herbicide. At present, a large number of researches have already reported that certain plant-derived allelochemicals can inhibit weed growth. In this study, the allelopathic effect of Artemisia argyi was investigated via a series of laboratory experiments and field trial. Firstly, water-soluble extracts exhibited the strongest allelopathic inhibitory effects on various plants under incubator conditions, after the different extracts authenticated by UPLC-Q-TOF-MS. Then, the allelopathic effect of the A. argyi was systematacially evaluated on the seed germination and growth of Brassica pekinensis, Lactuca sativa, Oryza sativa, Portulaca oleracea, Oxalis corniculata and Setaria viridis in pot experiments, it suggested that the A. argyi could inhibit both dicotyledons and monocotyledons not only by seed germination but also by seedling growth. Furthermore, field trial showed that the A. argyi significantly inhibited the growth of weeds in Chrysanthemum morifolium field with no adverse effect on the growth of C. morifolium. At last, RNA-Seq analysis and key gene detection analysis indicated that A.argyi inhibited the germination and growth of weed via multi-targets and multi-paths while the inhibiting of chlorophyll synthesis of target plants was one of the key mechanisms. In summary, the A. argyi was confirmed as a potential raw material for the development of preventive herbicides against various weeds in this research. Importantly, this discovery maybe provide scientific evidence for the research and development of environmentally friendly herbicides in the future.

Artemisia argyi Levl. et Van (A. argyi) is a traditional medicinal plant, which is widely used in health, food and medicine. Thujone is an important cyclic monoterpene derivative in the volatile oil of A. argyi leaves with multiple efficacy. Although the thujone synthetic pathway has been preliminarily analyzed in very few species, genes related to the thujone content in A. argyi leaves remain largely unknown. In this study, we identify candidate genes involved in the synthesis and regulation of thujone content in A. argyi leaves by the comparative transcriptome analysis of two group materials with high and low thujone content. A total of 89 candidate genes related to thujone content are identified including one gene involved in the mevalonate pathway, three genes involved in the methylerythritol phosphate pathway, 19 genes involved in the metabolic process from geranyl pyrophosphate to thujone (four b-terpene synthase, five cytochrome P450, five dehydrogenase, and five reductase-encoding genes) and 66 transcription factor-encoding genes. Taken together, our results provide valuable gene resources for further analyzing the synthetic and regulatory pathway of thujone in A. argyi. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Artemisia argyi Levl. et Van is an important Asteraceae species with a high medicinal value. There are abundant A. argyi germplasm resources in Asia, especially in China, but the evolutionary relationships of these varieties and the systematic localization of A. argyi in the family Asteraceae are still unclear. In this study, the chloroplast (cp) genomes of 72 A. argyi varieties were systematically analyzed. The 72 varieties originated from 47 regions in China at different longitudes, latitudes and altitudes, and included both wild and cultivated varieties. The A. argyi cp genome was found to be ∼151 kb in size and to contain 114 genes, including 82 protein-coding, 28 tRNA, and 4 rRNA genes. The number of short sequence repeats (SSRs) in A. argyi cp genomes ranged from 35 to 42, and most of them were mononucleotide A/T repeats. A total of 196 polymorphic sites were detected in the cp genomes of the 72 varieties. Phylogenetic analysis demonstrated that the genetic relationship between A. argyi varieties had a weak relationship with their geographical distribution. Furthermore, inverted repeat (IR) boundaries of 10 Artemisia species were found to be significantly different. A sequence divergence analysis of Asteraceae cp genomes showed that the variable regions were mostly located in single-copy (SC) regions and that the coding regions were more conserved than the non-coding regions. A phylogenetic tree was constructed using 43 protein-coding genes common to 67 Asteraceae species. The resulting tree was consistent with the traditional classification system; Artemisia species were clustered into one group, and A. argyi was shown to be closely related to Artemisia lactiflora and Artemisia montana. In summary, this study systematically analyzed the cp genome characteristics of A. argyi and compared cp genomes of Asteraceae species. The results provide valuable information for the definitive identification of A. argyi varieties and for the understanding of the evolutionary relationships between Asteraceae species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nanotechnology contributes to the development of biopesticides with reduced toxicity, increased stability, improved biosafety, and higher activity against targets. It has demonstrated great potential as a solution for practical applications of essential oils. Herein, the HLB method developed two Artemisia argyi essential oil-loaded nanoemulsions (AEOnano). Further systematically optimizing the ratio led to small droplet size (<200 nm) and low PDI (<0.3). As anticipated, the AEOnano demonstrated robust physical stability when subjected to various stressors. Notably, both indoor and outdoor pot experiments demonstrated that AEOnano outperformed ordinary A. argyi essential oil aqueous emulsions (AEOAE) in weed control. These nanoemulsions allowed a 2–4 times reduction in AEO dosage while maintaining the same weed-killing efficacy. The superior improvement attributed to the nanoemulsions enhanced leaf-wetting capability, improved leaf retention, and resistance to wash-off. In addition, biosafety assessment indicated that AEOnano did not affect the plants (Artemisia argyi , Chrysanthemum morifolium , cotton), which provide orientation for its practical application. Therefore, this study introduces a promising approach to enhance the effectiveness of AEO-based herbicides, which will have a broad application prospect in sustainable agriculture. Artemisia argyi essential oil-loaded nanoemulsions were developed by a high-shear mixer, which showed a viable strategy for sustainable weed control, with enhanced stability, amplified activity, and protected non-target. [Display omitted] • Two AEO-loaded nanoemulsions have established by using the classical HLB theory • AEOnano exhibits excellent kinetic stability • AEOnano produce stronger herbicidal ability and can reduce AEO dosage by 2–4 times • The superior activity of AEOnano is attributed to its enhanced leaf retention ability [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aromatic plant extracts, especially essential oils (EOs), can be used as alternatives to synthetic herbicides due to their effectiveness and easy degradation in environment. Rich in essential oils, Artemisia argyi is a plant that is known for both its medicinal and allelopathic properties. In this study, the chemical composition of A. argyi essential oil (AEO) was examined. Gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC MS) revealed that relatively high amounts of monoterpenes, including eucalyptol (26.08%), thujone (10.84%), β -caryophyllene (7.46%), borneol (5.09%), and camphor (4.03%), were detected in AEO. Furthermore, AEO was found to inhibit seed germination of Echinochloa crus-galli , Setaria viridis , Portulaca oleracea , and Amaranthus retroflexus as well as kill seedlings of these plants in petri dish experiments. The IC 50 values of E. crus-galli , S. viridis , P. oleracea and A. retroflexus were 5.51, 1.02, 25.41, and 0.61 μL/dish, respectively. We demonstrated that A. argyi essential oil aqueous emulsion (AEOAE) exhibited broad-spectrum herbicidal activity and significant short-term contact killing effects on weed plants in both pot and field experiments. S. viridis was taken as a model weed and various physiological indicators were assessed. The results showed that AEOAE induced excessive ROS production in the tested samples, producing an imbalance of the antioxidant system and damage to the integrity of cell membranes, which manifests as increased MDA content and electrolyte leakage. Molecular docking experiments indicated all of above components as potential binding sites with 4-hydroxyphenylpyruvate dioxygenase (HPPD) enzymes, which regulate the biosynthesis of plant tocopherols and plastid quinones to ultimately generate carotenoids. Additionally, AEOAE treatment led to the decrease of HPPD, carotenoid and chlorophyll content in target weeds, revealing that AEOAE may act as an HPPD inhibitor to impede photosynthesis in weed species. Hence, AEO has the potential to be utilized as a source for bio-herbicides that could be adapted for industrial-level production in the future, but its long-term effects should be studied further. • argyi essential oil (AEO) inhibits the germination and growth of various weeds. • AEO contains a high amounts of monoterpenes. • AEO induces ROS bursts and antioxidant system imbalances of weed plants. • Photosynthetic pigments content of weeds are reduced after AEO treatment. • HPPD may be one of the major targets of AEO components. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]