Medicinal
Artemisia oils had inhibitory effects on the growth of bacteria (Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and Staphylococcus epidermidis), yeasts (Candida albicans, Cryptococcus neoformans), and dermatophytes (Trichophyton rubrum, Microsporum canis, and Microsporum gypseum), Fonsecaea pedrosoi, and Aspergillus niger.
Artemisinin and its derivatives are a group of drugs that possess the most rapid action of all current drugs against malaria. Treatments containing an artemisinin derivative (artemisinin-combination therapies) are now standard treatment worldwide for P. falciparum malaria. The starting compound artemisinin is isolated from the plant Artemisia annua.
Wormwood was a common ingredient in old abortion recipes. Colette said, "My dream took place under the plant of ill-fame, wormwood ... the terrible age-old inducer of abortions ....".
Read more about this topic: Artemisia (genus)
Famous quotes containing the word medicinal:
“Our Indian said that he was a doctor, and could tell me some medicinal use for every plant I could show him ... proving himself as good as his word. According to his account, he had acquired such knowledge in his youth from a wise old Indian with whom he associated, and he lamented that the present generation of Indians “had lost a great deal.””
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“by Spoon Rivergathering many a shell,
And many a flower and medicinal weed—
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At ninety-six I had lived enough, that is all,
And passed to a sweet repose.”
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—State of Utah, U.S. public relief program (1935-1943)