A compound found in African wormwood, traditionally used for medicinal purposes, shows promise in treating asthma by reducing airway inflammation and improving respiratory function, thereby complementing traditional asthma treatments.
While the compound’s potency needs improvement, researchers are optimistic about its potential to improve airflow and decrease the frequency and severity of asthma attacks.
Additionally, its antioxidative effects may further protect lung tissues from oxidative stress, contributing to overall respiratory health and enhancing the effectiveness of conventional asthma treatments.
Researchers in a study suggest that a compound in Artemisia afra, a plant commonly called African wormwood, has a long history of medicinal use for various illnesses, may be effective against asthma. The findings were recently published in the Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine.
The updated comprehensive review of plants and herbal compounds with antiasthmatic effect listed revealed those 58 plants and 32 herbal extracted compounds had antiasthmatic effects, which must be investigated in future studies.
These include Nigella sativa (black seed), Adiantum capillus-veneris L. (fern), onion, garlic, frankincense, Brassica napus (Rapeseed), Crocus sativus (Saffron), Curcuma longa Rhizome (Turmeric), Eucalyptus globulus and Mangifera indica (mango), Mentha longifolia (Mint or Menthol), Basil, Moringa oleifera and Anchomanes difformis (Blume).
Also, 32 plants were shown to have anti-inflammatory and antioxidative effects or may act as bronchodilators and potentially have antiasthmatic effects, which must be investigated in future studies.
In many of these studies, the effects of plants have been compared with medicines currently used in the clinic. These plants are of different species, and the mechanism of action of most of them against asthma is to inhibit inflammation and oxidative stress.
Asthma is a persistent respiratory disorder characterized by inflammation and constriction of the air passages, resulting in recurrent symptoms, including difficulty breathing, wheezing, coughing, and a sensation of tightness in the chest.
It requires ongoing management through medications and lifestyle adjustments. However, its control remains a significant concern due to poor adherence to traditional medications. The need for new treatment options is highlighted by patient and physician dissatisfaction with existing therapies.
Complementary and alternative treatments, like herbal medicines, are commonly used, but their effectiveness lacks robust scientific support.
Traditionally, African wormwood is used in various forms, including decoctions, infusions, poultices, or as an inhalant, to treat a wide array of ailments. Its infusion or decoction mixed with honey or sugar to form syrup is highly regarded as treatment for colds, flu, sore throats and bronchial and respiratory conditions like pneumonia, asthma, whooping cough, bronchitis and coughs.
As an inhalant, the stream from leaves boiled in water is inhaled to relieve the symptoms of respiratory ailments, and the vapour from a hot infusion is used to stream the throat of scarlet fever patients. A common practice is also to insert fresh leaves into the nostrils to clear blocked nasal passages.
Moreover, researchers are also optimistic about its potential for developing effective therapy for treating tuberculosis by killing the bacteria in both active and dormant states.
The findings recently published in the Journal of Ethnopharmacology could lead to more effective therapies, though further research is needed to improve the compound’s potency.
The team, co-led by Penn State researchers, found that the chemical compound, an O-methylflavone, can kill the mycobacteria that causes tuberculosis in both its active state and its slower, hypoxic state, which the mycobacteria enters when it is stressed.
Tuberculosis—caused by the bacteria Mycobacterium tuberculosis, or Mtb—is one of the world’s leading killers among infectious diseases. There are about 10 million cases a year globally, with approximately 1.5 million of those being fatal.
While effective therapies exist for TB, the researchers said there are several factors that make the disease difficult to treat. A standard course of antibiotics lasts six months, and if a patient contracts a drug-resistant strain of the bacteria, it stretches to two years, making treatment costly and time-consuming.
For their study, the researchers took raw extract of the African wormwood plant and separated it into ”fractions”—versions of the extract that have been separated into simpler chemical profiles. They then tested each of the fractions against Mtb, noting whether they were effective or ineffective against the bacteria. At the same time, they created a chemical profile of all of the tested fractions.
From these, the researchers identified and tested a compound that effectively killed the bacteria in the pathogen’s active and inactive states, which the researchers said is significant and rare to see in TB treatments. Further testing in a human cell model showed that it had minimal toxicity.
The researchers said that in the future, more studies are needed to continue exploring the potential for using African wormwood for treating TB and to see if additional molecules can be identify that might be able to kill this mycobacterium.
“While the potency of this compound is too low to use directly as an anti-Mtb treatment, it may still be able to serve as the foundation for designing more potent drugs. Furthermore, there appear to be other, similar chemicals in African wormwood that may also have the same type of properties,” said Joshua Kellogg, the study’s co-corresponding author and assistant professor of veterinary and biomedical sciences in the College of Agricultural Sciences.
