Korean J Physiol Pharmacol.  2015 Jan;19(1):21-27. 10.4196/kjpp.2015.19.1.21.

Anti-inflammatory, Antioxidant and Antimicrobial Effects of Artemisinin Extracts from Artemisia annua L.

• Kim WS
• Choi WJ
• Lee S
• Kim WJ
• Lee DC
• Sohn UD
• Shin HS
• Kim W

• KMID: 2071815
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4196/kjpp.2015.19.1.21

Abstract

The anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antimicrobial properties of artemisinin derived from water, methanol, ethanol, or acetone extracts of Artemisia annua L. were evaluated. All 4 artemisinin-containing extracts had anti-inflammatory effects. Of these, the acetone extract had the greatest inhibitory effect on lipopolysaccharide-induced nitric oxide (NO), prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), and proinflammatory cytokine (IL-1beta , IL-6, and IL-10) production. Antioxidant activity evaluations revealed that the ethanol extract had the highest free radical scavenging activity, (91.0+/-3.2%), similar to alpha-tocopherol (99.9%). The extracts had antimicrobial activity against the periodontopathic microorganisms Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans, Fusobacterium nucleatum subsp. animalis, Fusobacterium nucleatum subsp. polymorphum, and Prevotella intermedia. This study shows that Artemisia annua L. extracts contain anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antimicrobial substances and should be considered for use in pharmaceutical products for the treatment of dental diseases.

Keyword

Anti-inflammatory effect; Anti-microbial activity; Antioxidant activity; Artemisinin

MeSH Terms

Acetone
Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans
alpha-Tocopherol
Artemisia annua*
Dinoprostone
Ethanol
Fusobacterium nucleatum
Interleukin-6
Methanol
Nitric Oxide
Pharmaceutical Preparations
Prevotella intermedia
Stomatognathic Diseases
Water
Acetone
Dinoprostone
Ethanol
Interleukin-6
Methanol
Nitric Oxide
Pharmaceutical Preparations
Water
alpha-Tocopherol

Figure

• 

  Fig. 1 The structure of artemisinin.

• 

  Fig. 2 HPLC chromatography peak area against the concentration. HPLC chromatogram showing peaks of artemisinin-containing solution (ACS). A: Water extract, B: methanol extract, C: ethanol extract, D: acetone extract. Examples of HPLC traces with the artemisinin peak labelled (*).

• 

  Fig. 3 The cell viability of RAW 264.7 cells with the artemisinin at different concentrations. Cells were treated for 24 hr with 0, 1, 5, 10, 50 or 100 µg/ml of artemisinin-containing solution (ACS). The normal group was treated with media only. The results are expressed as the mean±SE from three independent experiments. *p<0.01 indicates significant differences from the cells.

• 

  Fig. 4 Suppression of LPS-induced NO and PGE2 production in RAW 264.7 cells by the artemisinin. Cells were treated for 18 hr with 0, 1, 5, 10, 50, or 100 µg/ml of artemisinincontaining solution (ACS) in the presence of 0.1 µg/ml LPS. The results are expressed as the mean±SE from three independent experiments. *p< 0.01 indicates significant differences from the LPS treated cells. A: NO, B: PGE2.

• 

  Fig. 5 Suppression of LPS-induced cytokine production (IL-1β and IL-10) in RAW264.7 cells by the artemisinin. RAW 264.7 cells were treated for 18 hr with 0, 1, 5, 10, 50 or 100 µg/ml of artemisinin-containing solution (ACS) in the presence of 0.1 µg/ml LPS. The results are expressed as the mean±SE from three independent experiments. *p<0.01 indicates significant differences from the LPS treated cells. A: IL-1β, B: IL-10.

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