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. 2024 Mar 27;13(7):967.
doi: 10.3390/plants13070967.

Artemisia spp. Essential Oils: From Their Ethnobotanical Use to Unraveling the Microbiota Modulation Potential

Flavio Polito  1 , Mattia Di Mercurio  2 , Silvia Rizzo  2 , Maura Di Vito  2 , Maurizio Sanguinetti  2   3 , Andrea Urbani  2   4 , Francesca Bugli  2   3 , Vincenzo De Feo  1
Affiliations

Artemisia spp. Essential Oils: From Their Ethnobotanical Use to Unraveling the Microbiota Modulation Potential

Flavio Polito et al. Plants (Basel). .

Abstract

Background: The 2015 Nobel Prize in Medicine, awarded for the discovery of artemisinin in Artemisia annua, reignited interest in aromatic plants, including Artemisia absinthium L. This article delves into the historical, ethnopharmacological and medicinal significance of A. absinthium, examining its bitter taste noted since ancient Greek times and its association with medicinal properties throughout history. Despite being banned in the 20th century due to perceived health risks; recent research has led to the reconsideration of A. absinthium's potential applications. This study focuses on the prebiotic efficacy of essential oils (EOs) from two Artemisia species: A. absinthium and A. annua.

Materials and methods: A broth microdilution test, growth curve test and in vivo models were used to study the impact of low doses (from 0.5% v/v to 0.00048 v/v) of Artemisia spp-EO on the three probiotic strains (Lactobacillus, Lactobacillus casei and Saccharomyces boulardii).

Results: These essential oils, when used in minimal concentrations (lower than 0.06% v/v), are safe and exhibit prebiotic effects on major probiotic strains, supporting the traditional culinary use of Artemisia spp.

Conclusion: This research opens avenues for potential applications in the food industry, emphasizing the need for further exploration into the prebiotic properties of Artemisia spp-EOs and their influence on the microbiota.

Keywords: Artemisia absinthium; Artemisia annua; absinthe; medicinal wine.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Each graph shows growth curves obtained by exposing one of the three probiotics (L. rhamnosus, L. casei, and S. boulardii) to the activity of AAb-EO and AA-EO. Error bars represent the standard deviation of the mean for each data point.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Graphs in the first column show the OD values detected at the inflection point (of the control curve) of each of the three probiotics when grown in the presence of AA-EO or AAb-EO. The graphs on the right show the OD values detected after 24 h of incubation. OD values were detected in the presence of 0.5%, 0.06%, and 0.00043% v/v of both EOs. Error bars represent the standard deviation of the mean, **** = p < 0.0005; *** = p < 0.001; ** = p < 0.005; * = p < 0.05.
Figure 3
Figure 3
In vitro toxicity. The figure shows the viability (%) of Caco-2 cells after the treatment of AAb-EO (0.03% v/v) and AA-EO (0.015% v/v). Error bars represent the standard deviation of the mean.
Figure 4
Figure 4
In vivo toxicity. The figure shows the viability (%) of Galleria mellonella larvae treated with a scalar dilution of AAb-EO, AA-EO or untreated (rhombus).
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