Artemisia annua is a plant native to China, belonging to the Asteraceae family, the plant thrives in regions where average temperatures are high and rainfall is high. To cultivate it in conditions different from ideal, it is necessary to develop adaptation projects. Artemisia annua has volatile components, essential oils, and non-volatile ones, the most relevant being artemisinin. The use of Artemisia annua and its components is a very significant contribution of traditional Chinese medicine to the world, highlighting the use of artemisinin in the treatment of malaria, which is potent and effective for the treatment of cerebral malaria and falciparum malaria, resistant to multiple drugs. Considered the main active component of the plant, artemisinin won the Nobel Prize for Medicine in 2015.

In addition to artemisinin, the phytochemical complex is composed of other sesquiterpenic lactones, with numerous therapeutic properties, such as deoxyartemisinin and dihydroartemisinin. Pointing out the application potential and as an antimalarial, antileishmaniasis, healing, repellent, antiviral, antioxidant, antitumor, antiulcerative and larvicide.

Artemisia Annua and cancer

Of the 800 articles on Artemisia annua published by PubMed in the US, only about 30 are related to cancer treatment - but they hold great promise in the treatment of cancers of the prostate, pancreas, breast, liver, brain, breast. Colon etc. In fact, artemisinin has been shown to be highly lethal to all cancer cells that, because of their cellular needs, are rich in iron. When it comes in contact with iron, artemisinin triggers the release of intracellular free radicals that destroy cancer cells.

It should also be noted that Artemisia annua contains scopoletin, which is also an anti-cancer substance. This medicinal substance is widely found in the Solanaceae family - for example, Belladonna, of the genus Atropa, two species of which are introduced in this season of 2019 by Kokopelli, namely, Atropa caucasica and Atropa komarovii. However, these Solanaceae are less easy to use than Artemisia annua or other Artemisia.

As for the dosage of the different Artemisia annua preparations in the treatment of cancer, the doses, durations and intervals between treatments vary according to the authors or therapists. At a minimum, this means following the same treatment as for malaria and extending it over a period of several weeks or several months, depending on needs, the necessary intervals between treatments and the patient's ability to “digest” this plant. Some animal cancer studies report complete remission after 10/15 days of treatment. Another laboratory study, in vivo, shows 98% of breast cancer cell destruction in 16 hours.

https://www.artemisia-annua.pt/index.php?route=journal3/blog&journal_blog_category_id=3

Artemisia Annua and Covid-19

Research teams are currently testing the effectiveness of Artemisia annua against Covid-19, primarily in the United States, but also in Europe, Asia and South Africa. Several Chinese studies have shown that this plant, traditionally used against malaria, had strength. antiviral activity against CoV-SAR in 2003.

The US researchers are excited: "If further clinical trials are successful, Artemisia annua could serve as a safe therapy, provided globally at a reasonable cost and offers an alternative to vaccines."

https://www.artemisia-annua.pt/index.php?route=journal3/blog&journal_blog_tag=Covid-19