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The genus Artemisia L. is a member of the family Compositae, widely distributed in the warmer temperate zones of the northern hemisphere. The Artemisia species have been known since ancient times for their curative properties and used for the treatment of various ailments such as malaria, inflammation, cancer and infections by fungi, bacteria and viruses. There is a renewed interest in Artemisia species, and several scientific investigations have aimed to isolate and identify their active constituents, scientifically verify their pharmacological actions and constituents, and determine the basis for the use of Artemisia species in a range of diseases and conditions. According to the literature, over 260 Artemisia species have been investigated, and results reveal that they contain many classes of secondary metabolites with pharmacological activity, including sesquiterpene lactones. The present review will summarize some of the important reports on the chemistry and biological activities of Artemisia sesquiterpene lactones from the literature data of recent years (2000 to date). The discussion will also focus on the understanding of their mechanism of action and structure/activity relationships. The information summarized here is intended to serve as a reference tool for practitioners in the fields of ethnopharmacology and the chemistry of natural products.

Infectious diseases account for one third of all deaths worldwide. The spread of multidrug-resistant strains of microbes makes it necessary to discover new classes of antimicrobials and compounds that inhibit these resistance mechanisms. In the past few decades, the search for new anti-infective agents has occupied many research groups in the field of ethnopharmacology. Many focus on determining the antimicrobial activity of plant extracts found in folk medicine, essential oils or isolated compounds. The Anthemideae tribe of the Asteraceae comprises a large number of species that have been and are still used as medicinal plants, particularly in folk medicine. In the present review, we analyze the past, present and future of medicinal plants of the Anthemideae tribe, both as potential antimicrobial crude drugs as well as a source for natural compounds that act as new anti-infectious agents.