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Gas chromatography (GC) and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) analyses were conducted on essential oil extracted from Saudi Arabian Artemisia judaica L. (A. judaica) aerial parts, resulting in the identification of 58 constituents, representing 93.0% of the total oil composition. The oil primarily consisted of monoterpenes (38.6%), sesquiterpenes (14.1%), and other compounds such as ethyl esters and cyclic ketones (40.3%). The main components identified were piperitone (16.5%), ethyl cinnamate (12.9%), and camphor (9.7%). Multivariate statistical analyses (MVAs), including principal component analysis (PCA) and agglomerative hierarchical clustering (AHC) analysis, were employed to compare the chemical makeup of this oil with 20 other A. judaica oils from various regions. The study revealed distinct clusters, highlighting unique chemotypes and geographic variations. Particularly, the oil from the current study demonstrated a specialized chemical profile with significant concentrations of specific compounds, contributing significantly to its distinctiveness. Further cytotoxicity testing on RAW264.7 macrophages suggested that concentrations below 20 μg/mL of A. judaica oil are suitable for future pharmacological investigations. This study provides valuable insights into the chemical diversity, geographic variations, and potential biomedical applications of these essential oils. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbapenem antibiotic resistance is an emerging medical concern. Bacteria that possess the Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemase (KPC) protein, an enzyme that catalyzes the degradation of carbapenem antibiotics, have exhibited remarkable resistance to traditional and even modern therapeutic approaches. This study aimed to identify potential natural drug candidates sourced from the leaves of Artemisia judaica (A. judaica). The phytoconstituents present in A. judaica dried leaves were extracted using ethanol 80%. A reasonable amount of the extract was used to identify these phytochemicals via gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS). One hundred twenty-two bioactive compounds from A. judaica were identified and subjected to docking analysis against the target bacterial protein. Four compounds (PubChem CID: 6917974, 159099, 628694, and 482788) were selected based on favorable docking scores (−9, −7.8, −7.7, and −7.5 kcal/mol). This computational investigation highlights the potential of these four compounds as promising antibacterial candidates against the specific KPC protein. Additionally, in vitro antibacterial assays using A. judaica extracts were conducted. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) against the bacterium K. pneumonia was 125 μg/mL. Well–disk diffusion tests exhibited inhibition zones ranging from 10.3 ± 0.5 mm to 17 ± 0.5 mm at different concentrations, and time–kill kinetics at 12 h indicated effective inhibition of bacterial growth by A. judaica leaf extracts. Our findings have revealed the pharmaceutical potential of Artemisia judaica as a natural source for drug candidates against carbapenem-resistant pathogens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: Echinococcus granulosus (E. granulosus) is a significant zoonotic agent in veterinary and medicinal fields. Surgery and benzimidazole drugs are used as treatments but have significant drawbacks. Therefore, there is growing interest in ethnomedical approaches to investigating the scolicidal properties of plants traditionally as anthelmintics. Calotropis procera, Juniperus phoenicea, and Artemisia judaica are three plants traditionally used as anthelmintics. Aims: To examine the phytochemical composition and scolicidal capability against E. granulosus cysts of C. procera, J. phoenicea, and A. judaica methanolic extracts. Methods: Fresh E. granulosus cysts were isolated from livestock in southern Jordan and tested to determine the scolicidal potential of C. procera, J. phoenicea, and A. judaica aerial parts methanolic extracts, and their chemical compositions were examined using LC-MS. Results: Although all treatments were protoscolicidal, that of J. phoenicea exhibited higher protoscolices mortality rates at lower concentrations and treatment times than the other extracts. The LC-MS analysis revealed several components with biologically active properties were present in the plant extracts, including terpenes and polyphenolic compounds. Only C. procera contained the steroid uzarin and the flavonoid isoquercitrin. Conclusions: This study demonstrated the potent effects of A. judaica, J. phoenicea, and C. procera methanolic extracts against E. granulosus protoscoleces in vitro, indicating that these plants and/or their phytochemical components may be attractive sources of novel scolicidal medications.

Gas chromatography (GC) and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) analyses were conducted on essential oil extracted from Saudi Arabian Artemisia judaica L. (A. judaica) aerial parts, resulting in the identification of 58 constituents, representing 93.0% of the total oil composition. The oil primarily consisted of monoterpenes (38.6%), sesquiterpenes (14.1%), and other compounds such as ethyl esters and cyclic ketones (40.3%). The main components identified were piperitone (16.5%), ethyl cinnamate (12.9%), and camphor (9.7%). Multivariate statistical analyses (MVAs), including principal component analysis (PCA) and agglomerative hierarchical clustering (AHC) analysis, were employed to compare the chemical makeup of this oil with 20 other A. judaica oils from various regions. The study revealed distinct clusters, highlighting unique chemotypes and geographic variations. Particularly, the oil from the current study demonstrated a specialized chemical profile with significant concentrations of specific compounds, contributing significantly to its distinctiveness. Further cytotoxicity testing on RAW264.7 macrophages suggested that concentrations below 20 μg/mL of A. judaica oil are suitable for future pharmacological investigations. This study provides valuable insights into the chemical diversity, geographic variations, and potential biomedical applications of these essential oils.

Carbapenem antibiotic resistance is an emerging medical concern. Bacteria that possess the Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemase (KPC) protein, an enzyme that catalyzes the degradation of carbapenem antibiotics, have exhibited remarkable resistance to traditional and even modern therapeutic approaches. This study aimed to identify potential natural drug candidates sourced from the leaves of Artemisia judaica (A. judaica). The phytoconstituents present in A. judaica dried leaves were extracted using ethanol 80%. A reasonable amount of the extract was used to identify these phytochemicals via gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS). One hundred twenty-two bioactive compounds from A. judaica were identified and subjected to docking analysis against the target bacterial protein. Four compounds (PubChem CID: 6917974, 159099, 628694, and 482788) were selected based on favorable docking scores (−9, −7.8, −7.7, and −7.5 kcal/mol). This computational investigation highlights the potential of these four compounds as promising antibacterial candidates against the specific KPC protein. Additionally, in vitro antibacterial assays using A. judaica extracts were conducted. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) against the bacterium K. pneumonia was 125 μg/mL. Well–disk diffusion tests exhibited inhibition zones ranging from 10.3 ± 0.5 mm to 17 ± 0.5 mm at different concentrations, and time–kill kinetics at 12 h indicated effective inhibition of bacterial growth by A. judaica leaf extracts. Our findings have revealed the pharmaceutical potential of Artemisia judaica as a natural source for drug candidates against carbapenem-resistant pathogens.

The immune response is the body's capability to keep itself safe by providing defense against potentially dangerous substances. It includes specific responses to most microbes in addition to specialized and greatly precise responses to a specific offender. Positive immunological and histological alterations in hepatically damaged rats, brought about by Artemisia judaica. An animal that was confined to a cage for the experiment. The rats were kept in groups of six and fed a diet that served as a baseline for 7 days before the experiment was conducted. The first group of rats (Cve) were fed only their usual food for 28 days as a control. To kill off the remaining rats (n=24), carbon tetrachloride (Ccl4) was injected into their veins. Four groups were given experimental diets containing varied amounts (5, 10, or 15 percent Artemisia judaica) and one group was given a diagnosis of the condition but no experimental diet. Findings indicated that 15 percent Artemisia judaica resulted in the greatest white blood cell counts in treated groups, whereas 10% of Artemisia judaica resulted in the lowest value. The findings also showed when contrasted with (C +ve), Artemisia judaica doses of 5 percent and 15 percent provide the greatest significant increases in the lymphocytic transformation index. The study recommended feeding Artemisia judaica to enhance immunity and improve the histology of the liver. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The continuous impedance of Pseudomonas aeruginosa to traditional antibacterial drugs due to biofilm formation resulted in a growing necessity to develop effective antibiofilm formation treatments. Thus, such a study was conducted to search for the natural metabolites from the endophytic Penicillium chrysoginum AJEF2 as a source of prospective antibiofilm-forming agents. Generally, the OSMAC (one strain many compounds) approach was undertaken to ascertain that the modified potato dextrose broth (MPDB) culture displayed substantial antibacterial potential towards various human pathogenic microorganisms (MICs = 125–500 µg/mL) and exhibited a remarkable percentage of biofilm inhibition against Pseudomonas aeruginosa clinical isolates by 92.3%. LC-ESI-HRMS analysis of such extract annotated seventeen metabolites that were screened for their inhibitory biofilm formation based on molecular docking simulation on LasR protein-specific quorum sensing. Interestingly, gladiolic acid, 8‑hydroxy-6-methylxanthone-1-carboxylic acid methyl ester, cyclo(L-tryptophanyl- l -tryptophanyl), and citreoanthrasteroid A, showed acceptable interaction energies and formed significant interactions inside the LasR active site. Those results highlight endophytic Penicillium chrysoginum AJEF2 as a potential source for antibiofilm compounds. [Display omitted] • Antimicrobial and anti-biofilm forming activities were displayed by the endophytic P. chrysogenum AJEF2 strain isolated from Artemisia judica. • LC HRMS analysis characterized structurally assorted metabolites, mainly phenolics, benzopyran, benzofuran, coumarins, polyketide, dipeptide, meroterpene, and steroids. • Molecular docking simulation on LasR protein-specific quorum sensing was done. • Gladiolic acid, 8‑hydroxy-6-methylxanthone-1-carboxylic acid methyl ester, cyclo(L-tryptophanyl- l -tryptophanyl) and citreoanthrasteroid A, were the most likely to inhibit the biofilm formation based on molecular docking studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aerial parts of Artemisia judaica from Jordan were subjected to different drying methods, including shade (ShD), sun (SD), oven (OD) drying at different temperatures in addition to microwave drying (MWD). Essential oils extracted from these samples were assayed for their chemical composition and antioxidant activity. GC/MS analysis of the different oil samples revealed qualitative and quantitative differences. All samples contained high concentration levels of oxygenated monoterpenes (41.69%-68.56%) followed by esters (8.32–36.65%). The essential oil extracted from ShD plant material exhibited the strongest DPPH and ABTS radical scavenging activities while oil samples obtained from the SD method showed the strongest ferrous ion chelating activity (FIC). Cluster analysis (CA) and principal component analysis (PCA) were used to identify the effect of drying methods on the essential oil composition obtained from A. judaica. The different essential oils were classified into two clusters corresponding to natural and artificial drying methods.

Medicinal plants and herbs are commonly used in the world to treat various human disorders. Artemisia judaica is one of these herbal species that is commonly used in medicine due to its contents of many bioactive compounds such as; flavonoids, lactones, essential oil and sesqui-terpenoids. It was used in many traditional medicines as an anthelmintic, antispasmodic, anti-rheumatic, and antibacterial agent. In recent years, anti-bacterial and anti-cancer activity of medicinal herbs are highly investigated. The present study is focused on the anti-microbial and cytotoxic effect of methanolic extract of Artemisia judaica leaves and stem. The antimicrobial assay was done on different gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria and it was revealed that leaves and stem extracts possess high and moderate activity against Staphylococcus aureus (MIC 312.5µg/ml and 625µg/ml) and Proteus vulgaris (MIC 312.5µg/ml and 1250µg/ml) for leaves and stem, respectively. Extracts were screened against HepG2, HCT-116, MCF-7, A-549 and MRC-5 cancer cells and it was found that both extracts were active against all cell lines with highest selectivity and cytotoxic activity observed against HepG2 cells (IC50 = 3.38 and 6.84µg/ml, for leaves and stem respectively). Further mechanistic studies on HepG2 cells showed that both extracts resulted in S-phase arrest and induced apoptosis via activation of caspase-3, p53 and Bax. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Artemisia judica L. is a desert aromatic herb with a characteristic fragrance and taste belonging to the family Asteraceae. This study aimed to evaluate the chemical composition of essential oil isolated from A. judaica L. using GC-MS analysis, along with an investigation of its antioxidant properties and inhibitory activity against key enzymes involved in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's, diabetes mellitus, and skin pigmentation. GC-MS analysis of the oil revealed the identification of fourteen compounds (97.89%), predominated by piperitone (51.40%), followed by ethyl ( E )-cinnamate (20.44%), (+)-2-bornanone (5.63%), and ethyl-( Z )-cinnamate (4.78%). The oil demonstrated remarkable antioxidant activities in the following order: ABTS (66.81 ± 1.49 mgTE/g)< CUPRAC (66.24 ± 0.53mgTE/g)

In this study, 19 endophytic fungal isolates associated with Artemisia judaica L. were isolated from Al-Shihiyah, Haʾil, Saudi Arabia. Those isolates represented five genera, including: Alternaria sp., (predominantly), Aspergillus sp., Chaetomium sp., Cladosporium sp., and Fusarium sp. All isolates (6 species) were grown on a solid rice medium and their ethyl acetate crude extracts, beside A. judaica L. extract, were tested for their antimicrobial activity. One endophytic fungal isolate demonstrated the highest activity and was chosen for further investigation. Based on its phenotypic, ITS ribosomal gene sequences, and phylogenetic characterization, this isolate was identified as Alternaria tenuissima AUMC14342 with accession number (MT468650). Ethyl acetate (EtOAc) extract from the isolated strain, AUMC14342, was fractioned using VLC. The active fraction of the EtOAc exhibited good antimicrobial effect against P. aeruginosa, S. aureus, F. solani, and A. niger at conc. 30 µ/mL using disc diffusion assay. A moderate cytotoxic effect was reported against a Hepatocellular carcinoma cell line (HepG2), with the lowest inhibitory concentration (IC50) of 0.52 µM. The active fraction was characterized by the presence of different chemically terpene, ester, volatile, and other organic compounds, determined by GC–MS. Conclusively, the endophytic fungus, A. tenuissima, derived from A .judaica L., is an ideal candidate for the potential industrial production of antimicrobial agents with a variety of applications.

Diabetes mellitus is a well-known danger element for the progression of male reproductive dysfunctions. Available evidence supports oxidative stress to be the underlying mechanism for the manifestation of testicular dysfunctions during diabetes, and this relation represents an attractive target to antagonize these complications. Artemisia judaica L. is known to have antidiabetic and antioxidant characteristics. The possible protective effect of Artemisia judaica against diabetes-induced testicular disorders was not explored. In this investigation, we planned to estimate the possible protective effect of Artemisia judaica extract against diabetes-induced testicular disorders in male rats. The blood levels of insulin, glucose, glycosylated hemoglobin, testosterone, luteinizing hormone and follicle stimulating hormone were evaluated in rats after 12 weeks of Artemisia judaica treatment. Further, oxidative stress markers were determined in their testicular tissue. Epididymal fluid and testicular histological changes were also assessed. Expression of proliferating cell nuclear antigen has been evaluated in testis. Testicular mRNA expression of nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 and heme oxygenase-1 as the significant transcription factors in controlling antioxidant system were evaluated by real-time polymerase chain reaction. Artemisia judaica extracts have the ability to ameliorate the elevation in the serum glucose and blood glycosylated hemoglobin and the reduction in insulin, testosterone, follicle stimulating hormone and luteinizing hormone caused by streptozotocin-induced diabetes. It induced a significant recovery of the testicular oxidative stress markers, sperm characteristics and improved histopathological findings of the testes. Treatment with Artemisia judaica extracts led to an increase in proliferating cell nuclear antigen protein expression. Reduction of testicular oxidative stress potential in streptozotocin-treated groups was confirmed by upregulation of nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 and heme oxygenase-1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Phytothérapie is the property of John Libbey Eurotext Ltd. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Aerial parts of Artemisia judaica from Jordan were subjected to different drying methods, including shade (ShD), sun (SD), oven (OD) drying at different temperatures in addition to microwave drying (MWD). Essential oils extracted from these samples were assayed for their chemical composition and antioxidant activity. GC/MS analysis of the different oil samples revealed qualitative and quantitative differences. All samples contained high concentration levels of oxygenated monoterpenes (41.69%-68.56%) followed by esters (8.32–36.65%). The essential oil extracted from ShD plant material exhibited the strongest DPPH and ABTS radical scavenging activities while oil samples obtained from the SD method showed the strongest ferrous ion chelating activity (FIC). Cluster analysis (CA) and principal component analysis (PCA) were used to identify the effect of drying methods on the essential oil composition obtained from A. judaica. The different essential oils were classified into two clusters corresponding to natural and artificial drying methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Artemisia judaica (ArJ) is a Mediterranean aromatic plant used traditionally to treat gastrointestinal ailments, skin diseases, atherosclerosis, and as an immuno-stimulant. This study describes ArJ essential oil constituents and investigates their wound healing activity. The in vitro antioxidant and antibiofilm activities of ArJ essential oil were investigated. The in vivo pro/anti-inflammatory and oxidative/antioxidant markers were compared with standard silver sulfadiazine (SS) in a second-degree skin burn experimental rat model. The gas chromatography-equipped flame ionization detector (GC-FID) analysis of ArJ essential oil revealed the major classes of compounds as oxygenated monoterpenes (>57%) and cinnamic acid derivatives (18.03%). The antimicrobial tests of ArJ essential oil revealed that Bacillus cereus, Candida albicans, and Aspergillus niger were the most susceptible test organisms. Two second-degree burns (each 1 inch square in diameter) were created on the dorsum of rats using an aluminum cylinder heated to 120 °C for 10 s. The wounds were treated either with ArJ or SS ointments for 21 days, while the negative control remained untreated, and biopsies were obtained for histological and biochemical analysis. The ArJ group demonstrated a significant increase in antioxidant superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) enzymatic activities, while lipid peroxide (LP) levels remained insignificant compared to the negative control group. Additionally, ArJ and SS groups demonstrated a significant decrease in inflammatory levels of tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) compared to the negative group, while interleukin 1 beta (IL-1b) and IL-6 were comparable to the negative group. At the same time, anti-inflammatory IL-10 and transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGF-b1) markers increased significantly in the ArJ group compared to the negative control. The ArJ results demonstrated potent wound healing effects, comparable to SS, attributable to antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects as well as a high proportion of oxygenated monoterpenes and cinnamate derivatives.

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is one of the most dangerous incurable diseases that affects a large number of people worldwide. Artemisia species have various protective activities and are widely used for the control of diabetes in folkloric medicine. Therefore, the current study was designed to illustrate the protective effect of oral administration of Artemisia judaica extract (AjE) against hepatorenal damage in a high-fat diet/streptozotocin (HFD/STZ) rat model of hyperlipidemia and hyperglycemia. Animals were divided into five groups—control, AjE, HFD/STZ, HFD/STZ-AjE (300 mg/kg), and HFD/STZ-MET (100 mg/kg)—and treated daily for 28 days. The results revealed that STZ-injected rats showed marked hyperglycemia and hypoinsulinemia in addition to high levels of cholesterol, triglycerides, and low- and high-density lipoproteins compared to control rats. Significant elevations in hepatic (AST and ALT) and renal (urea, uric acid, and creatinine) function markers were observed in the serum of diabetic rats. Additionally, STZ injection caused remarkable elevations in lipid peroxidation and nitric oxide levels as well as suppression of antioxidant markers (superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione peroxidase, glutathione reductase, and glutathione). Marked elevations in TNF-α and Bax levels with a decline in Bcl-2 levels were detected after STZ injection. Furthermore, TGF-β1 expression levels were significantly upregulated in the liver and kidney tissues. Rats that received AjE or MET showed significant improvement in most of the aforementioned parameters, and the protective efficacy was higher for AjE than for MET. Histopathological screening confirmed the biochemical findings. Conclusively, our results illustrated the antihyperglycemic, antihyperlipidemic, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antiapoptotic activities of AjE against hepatorenal injury in HFD/STZ-induced diabetes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigated the palliative effect of Artemisia judaica extract (AjE) on testicular deterioration induced by DM in high-fat diet/streptozocin (HFD/STZ)-injected rats. Forty rats were allocated to the following five groups: control, AjE, HFD/STZ, HFD/STZ-AjE, and HFD/STZ-metformin. HFD/STZ-diabetic rats showed a marked decrease in testicular weight and male sex hormones. There was significant suppression of testicular antioxidant enzymes and glutathione content in HFD/STZ-diabetic rats. However, rats that had received the STZ injection and the high-fat diet displayed increased malondialdehyde content and nitric oxide levels as well as tumour necrosis factor-alpha. High levels of Bax and low levels of Bcl-2 were detected after the STZ injection. Obvious pathological alterations were found in the testicular tissue of the HFD/STZ-diabetic rats. Thus, the administration of AjE attenuated the biochemical, molecular, and histopathological changes in the testes of the diabetic rats. The obtained findings showed that AjE treatment attenuated the diabetes-induced reprotoxicity in male rats via its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antiapoptotic properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The antinematodal activity of some wild plant extracts located in North and South Sinai, Egypt was examined against root-knot nematode (RKN). The selected seven plants viz., Artemisia judaica, A. monosperma, Bassia muricata, Cornulaca monacantha, Salsola kali and Zygophyllum album with different dilutions (25%, 50%, 75% &100%). The potent nematicidal efficacy observed in the extract of A. judaica followed by A. monosperma. In vivo trial post inoculation treatments were effective than pre one, the maximum reduction in nematode population was recorded by A. judaica (87.0%) followed by A. monosperma (83.0%) then Z. album1 (79.0%), while the lowest suppressor was C. monacantha (60.4%) at stock concentration. The addition of extracts as soil drench was better than spraying them. The stock solution showed the highest reduction in nematode reproduction but the differences between 100% and 75% concentrations were non-significant. Our finding offers a non-poisonous tool that can insert in combating nematode programs especially for small-holder growers colonized Sinai Peninsula. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The volatile chemical constituents derived from two Asteraceae species (Artemisia judaica and A. herba-alba) were analyzed and compared for the first time using gas chromatography techniques (GC–MS, GC–FID, Co-GC, LRI determination, database and literature searches) on two different stationary phase columns (polar and nonpolar). This analysis led to the identification of a total of 110 and 81 components from whole plant (stems, leaves and flowers) oils of A. judaica and A. herba-alba respectively. The major classes of compounds in both plants included oxygenated monoterpenes, sesquiterpenes and hydrocarbons. The prominent components in the oil of A. judaica were β -eudesmol, hexadecanoic acid, spathulenol, eudesma-4 (15),7-dien-1- β -ol, carvacrol and thymol which account for 67.3% of the total essential oils composition (96.7%). While the main oil constituents from A. herba-alba were piperitone, (E)-ethylcinnamate, (Z)-ethylcinnamate, thymol, isophrone which account for 78.0% of the total oil composition (99.6%). Comparison showed similar composition in thymol and spathulenol while in others major constituents, have opposite values. To the best of our knowledge, both plant species (A. judaica and A. herba-alba) from Saudi Arabia were considered for the first time in this study. In addition, the oils of these plants were screened for their bio-activities and were found to possess significant anti-microbial activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Plant Protection & Pathology is the property of Egyptian National Agricultural Library (ENAL) and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Artemisia judaica L. (Family: Asteraceae) exhibited antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antiapoptotic effects. The in vitro cytotoxic activity of A. judaica ethanolic extract was screened against a panel of cancer cell lines. The results revealed its cytotoxic activity against a lung cancer (A549) cell line with a promising IC50 of 14.2 μg/mL compared to doxorubicin as a standard. This was confirmed through the downregulation of antiapoptotic genes, the upregulation of proapoptotic genes, and the cell cycle arrest at the G2/M phase. Further in vivo study showed that a solid tumor mass was significantly reduced, with a tumor inhibition ratio of 54% relative to doxorubicin therapy in a Xenograft model. From a chemical point of view, various classes of natural products have been identified by liquid chromatography combined with tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). The docking study of the detected metabolites approved their cytotoxic activity through their virtual binding affinity towards the cyclin-dependent kinase 2 (CDK-2) and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) active sites. Finally, A. judaica is a fruitful source of polyphenols that are well-known for their antioxidant and cytotoxic activities. As such, the previously reported polyphenols with anti-lung cancer activity were quantified by high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with a diode array detector (HPLC-DAD). Rutin, quercetin, kaempferol, and apigenin were detected at concentrations of 6 mg/gm, 0.4 mg/gm, 0.36 mg/gm, and 3.9 mg/gm of plant dry extract, respectively. It is worth noting that kaempferol and rutin are reported for the first time. Herein, A. judaica L. may serve as an adjuvant therapy or a promising source of leading structures in drug discovery for lung cancer treatment.

Several members of the genus Artemisia are used in both Western and African traditional medicine for the control of diabetes. A considerable number of diabetic patients switch to using oral antidiabetic drugs in combination with certain herbs instead of using oral antidiabetic drugs alone. This study examined the effect of Artemisia judaica extract (AJE) on the antidiabetic activity of glyburide (GLB) in streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetes. Forty-two male Wistar rats were divided into seven equal groups. Normal rats of the first group were treated with the vehicle. The diabetic rats in the second–fifth groups received vehicle, GLB (5 mg/kg), AJE low dose (250 mg/kg), and AJE high dose (500 mg/kg), respectively. Groups sixth–seventh were treated with combinations of GLB plus the lower dose of AJE and GLB plus the higher dose of AJE, respectively. All administrations were done orally for eight weeks. Fasting blood glucose (FBG) and insulin levels, glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) percentage, serum lipid profile, and biomarkers of oxidative stress were estimated. The histopathological examination of the pancreas and the immunohistochemical analysis of anti-insulin, anti-glucagon, and anti-somatostatin protein expressions were also performed. The analysis of the hepatic mRNA expression of PPAR-α and Nrf2 genes were performed using quantitative RT-PCR. All treatments significantly lowered FBG levels when compared with the STZ-control group with the highest percentage reduction exhibited by the GLB plus AJE high dose combination. This combination highly improved insulin levels, HbA1c, and lipid profile in blood of diabetic rats compared to GLB monotherapy. In addition, all medicaments restored insulin content in the β-cells and diminished the levels of glucagon and somatostatin of the α- and δ-endocrine cells in the pancreatic islets. Furthermore, the GLB plus AJE high dose combination was the most successful in restoring PPAR-α and Nrf2 mRNA expression in the liver. In conclusion, these data indicate that the GLB plus AJE high dose combination gives greater glycemic improvement in male Wistar rats than GLB monotherapy.

The present study aimed to examine the composition of the essential oil extracted from the flowers of Algerian Artemisia judaica L. (ssp. sahariensis) and its possible used as a natural cosmetic preservative. The A. judaica essential oil (AJEO) was extracted by hydrodistillation and its composition was determined by gas chromatography (GS) and GC coupled with mass spectrometry. Twenty-nine compounds, corresponding to 93.2 % of the total composition of AJEO were identified, and piperitone was the dominant component (71.1 %). The antioxidant activity of AJEO was estimated by the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) test and reducing power assay. These methods revealed a 50 % DPPH inhibition at 3.94 mg/mL and a 50 % reducing power of 0.125 mg/mL. The antibacterial activity and the antibacterial efficacy of AJEO were evaluated against three bacterial strains commonly found as contaminants of cosmetics, and studied in a shampoo model during 28 days of incubation. All bacterial strains showed sensitivity against AJEO but the most sensitive was Staphylococcus aureus (minimum inhibition concentration= 0.68 mg/mL). Overall, the results obtained here suggest that AJEO can be applied in cosmetics as an antibacterial and antioxidant preservative. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Artemisia judaica is used in traditional medicine in the Arabian Gulf to treat several ailments including diabetes. The present study evaluated the hydro-methanolic extract obtained from aerial parts of A. judaica (AJ-HA) for its potential to inhibit key blood sugar modulating enzymes in vitro and its antioxidant activity with phytochemical composition. AJ-HA was tested for in vitro hypoglycemic effect by its potential to inhibit pancreatic α-amylase, intestinal α-glucosidase and dipeptidyl peptidase IV (DPP IV). Antioxidant activity was determined by assessing the potential of the extract through scavenging of 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radicals. Quantitative phytochemical evaluation was performed by determining the total content of phenolics, saponins, flavonoids, tannins and alkaloids. Interestingly the extract showed inhibitory potential for all the three key enzymes that are involved in modulating the blood glucose levels namely: α-amylase, α-glucosidase and DPP IV with IC50s in the range of 758.96-2447.40 µg/mL. AJ-HA also showed significant scavenging activity for DPPH radicals with IC50 of 85.89 µg/mL. Quantitative estimations confirmed the abundance of various phytochemical classes particularly saponins and tannins. As such, this is a proof of concept study wherein our results demonstrate that A. judaica which is used in traditional medicine for anti-diabetic properties contains active metabolites that have the potential to inhibit key blood sugar modulating enzymes. Our findings therefore has implication that warrants further investigation of A. judaica in animal models and further for the identification of lead compounds as new molecular entities for management of diabetes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The essential oils obtained by hydrodistillation from the aerial parts of Artemisia judaica L., Artemisia herba-alba Asso. and Artemisia arborescens L. (cultivated) from Libya, were analyzed by GC and GC-MS. The antimicrobial properties were determined using the broth microdilution method against eight bacterial species: Bacillus cereus (clinical isolate), Micrococcus flavus (ATCC10240), Listeria monocytogenes (NCTC7973), Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC6538), Escherichia coli (ATCC35210), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (ATCC27853), Salmonella typhimurium (ATCC13311), Enterobacter cloacae (human isolates) and eight fungal species: Aspergillus niger (ATCC6275), A. ochraceus (ATCC12066), A. versicolor (ATCC11730), A. fumigatus (ATCC1022), Penicillium ochrochloron (ATCC9112), P. funiculosum (ATCC10509), Trichoderma viride (IAM5061) and Candida albicans (human isolate). The major constituents of A. arborescens oil were sesquiterpene hydrocarbons (47.4%). Oxygenated monoterpenes were the dominant constituents in the A. judaica and A. herba-alba oils (54.2% and 77.3%, respectively). Camphor (24.7%) and chamazulene (20.9%) were the major components in the essential oil of A. arborescens, chrysanthenone (20.8%), cis-chrysanthenyl acetate (17.6%) and cis-thujone (13.6%) dominated in the A. herba-alba oil, and the major constituents in the A. judaica oil were piperitone (30.21%) and cis-chrysanthenol (9.1%). The best antimicrobial activity was obtained for A. judaica oil and the lowest effect was noticed in A. arborescens oil. The effect of the tested oils was higher against Gram (+) than Gram (-) bacteria. All three oils showed the best antibacterial activity against Listeria monocytogenes and the lowest against Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, Enterobacter cloacae, compared to streptomycin and ampicillin. All three oils showed better antifungal activities than ketoconazole, except A. arborescens oil against Aspergillus niger. [Projekat Ministarstv nauke Republike Srbije, br. 173029 and Grant No. 173032]

Novel, simple, and sensitive high-performance thin-layer chromatography (HPTLC) with fluorescence detection method has been successfully established and validated for the simultaneous determination of vulgarin and epivulgarin in different collections of Artemisia judaica. HPTLC method was carried out using glass plates coated with silica gel 60 F254 using petroleum ether-acetone (7:3, v/v) as the mobile phase. After development, the plates were scanned and quantified densitometrically at 224 nm for both vulgarin and epivulgarin. The two compounds' peaks from A. judaica were identified by comparing their single spot at RF = 0.30 ± 0.02 and RF = 0.36 ± 0.01, respectively, with those of vulgarin and epivulgarin. Linear regression analysis revealed a good linear relationship between peak area and amount of vulgarin and epivulgarin in the range of 100-700 ng band-1 for both compounds. The method was validated, in accordance with the International Conference on Harmonization (ICH) guidelines, for precision, accuracy, and robustness. The proposed method will be useful to measure the therapeutic dose of vulgarin and epivulgarin in A. judaica extracts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plants are the nature's biochemical factories. They bio-synthesize a diverse array of different natural products, such as alkaloids, terpenes and terpenoids, phenolic compounds, flavonoids and coumarins through their structural mechanisms to reduce insect attacks, both constitutive and inducible, while insects have evolved strategies to overcome these plant defenses. There is a widespread effort to find new pesticides, and currently it is focused on natural compounds such as flavonoids, coumarins, terpenoids, and phenolics from diverse botanical families from arid and semi-arid lands. Algeria by the diversity of its habitats has a very diverse flora. Some of these plants have very interesting insecticidal properties. The aim of this study is to evaluate the insecticidal effect of the plant Artemisia judaica L. (Asteraceae). The crude ethanol extract of the plant A. judaica was tested on the black bean aphid Aphis fabae Scop. Four doses (12.5, 6.25, 3.12 and 1.56 mg mL-1) were tested on contact wingless adults. The results have showed that the tested extract has been very powerful to aphids. At the highest dose 12.5 mgmL-1, the 100% of mortality were recorded 2 hours after treatment, and for the lowest dose (1.56 mgmL-1) it was after 96 hours. The LD50 calculated 2 hours after treatment from the regression lines Probit = £ (doses) shows that it is 2.75 mgmL-1. This powerful insecticidal activity of the tested crude extract could be due to the richness of the plant on phenolics compounds known for their bio-insecticide action. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Artemisia judaica L. essential oil was studied for antibacterial activity against various clinical isolates of bacteria resistant to a number of antibiotics. The antibacterial activity was evaluated against 20 multidrug resistant (MDR) of clinical origin compared to standard ATCC strains. The strains that showed resistance against the maximum number of antibiotics tested were selected for an antibacterial assay by three methods: Disc diffusion method, microatmosphere and dilution method. The obtained results demonstrated that the A. judaica essential oil possessed an excellent inhibitory effect against all of the tested strains. The most potent results were obtained against MRSA (Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus), Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus subtilis (their MIC was 8.75 µg/ml). MIC (Minimal Inhibitory Concentration) and MBC (Minimal Bactericidal Concentration) values for essential oil against all tested strains were equal. According to GC-MS analysis forty-one constituents were identified, which represented 84.66 % of the total essential oil, being piperitone (73.4 %) the main compound. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]