Search Results (331)

The Turkistan Region of southern Kazakhstan lies within the Mountains of Central Asia biodiversity hotspot and harbors a flora of beneficial plants whose traditional use is well documented but whose chemistry and conservation status remain, for most species, formally unassessed. Following the PRISMA extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR), with accepted names verified against Plants of the World Online, this scoping review maps—for the first time as a single co-occurring assemblage rather than isolated single-taxon surveys—the evidence for nine regionally important species across the Nitrariaceae, Fabaceae, Apiaceae and Asteraceae. From 4362 records, 82 were charted by structured per-species extraction. The species span a broad chemical space: β-carboline alkaloids, furanocoumarins, sesquiterpene coumarins, sesquiterpene lactones and flavonoid-rich essential oils, sharing a recurring antioxidant and antimicrobial profile overlaid with species-specific effects such as the anthelmintic santonin of Artemisia cina. For most species the underlying data derive from non-Central Asian populations, limiting regional transferability, and safety evidence is sparse: no acute or repeated-dose toxicity study on regionally collected material was identified, although several species contain monoamine oxidase inhibitors, phototoxic furanocoumarins or thujone-rich oils. We propose a tiered, conservation-aware framework and a prioritized research agenda. Provenance was charted for all 82 records, and the country of origin could be established for 35. Full article

Investigating alternatives to synthetic chemicals in pest management is essential. The bioactivity of Artemisia absinthium and A. dracunculus essential oils (EOs) was evaluated against two stored-product insect pests (Sitophilus granaries and Tribolium castaneum) and two root-knot nematodes (Meloidogyne incognita and M. chitwoodi). EOs were hydrodistilled and analyzed by GC-MS: A. absinthium consisted mainly of myrtenyl acetate (47.10%) and β-thujone (11.41%); A. dracunculus of methyleugenol (26.02%), β-asarone (14.04%), and elemicin (10.95%). In contact bioassays, A. absinthium caused 93.2–96.8% mortality against S. granarius, but minimal effect on T. castaneum. A. dracunculus caused 66.3–73.5% mortality against S. granarius, no effect on T. castaneum, yet reduced progeny by 87%. Both EOs strongly repelled T. castaneum but weakly affected S. granarius. A. dracunculus exhibited 100% nematicidal efficacy against M. incognita and 94.9% against M. chitwoodi; A. absinthium showed limited effect. A. dracunculus showed minimal hatching inhibition (<30%), whereas A. absinthium increased hatching. Sparse Partial Least Squares (sPLS) prioritized pulegone, methyleugenol, β-asarone, β-thujone, myrtenyl acetate, and β-phellandrene as constituents co-varying with AChE/BChE responses, with docking identifying pulegone as the top ligand. These findings demonstrate species-specific bioactivity patterns: A. dracunculus shows strong nematicidal and reproductive inhibitory effects, whereas A. absinthium shows potent acute toxicity and repellency against S. granarius, supporting multi-target biopesticide strategies to mitigate risks of synthetic chemical treatments. Full article

Fungi of the genus Ampelomyces are among the most significant hyperparasites used for biological control of phytopathogenic fungi, particularly those causing powdery mildew on various plants. Most species of this genus were described by the Soviet scientist O. Rudakov (1979), 13 original strains of which, including several type cultures, are deposited in the All-Russian Collection of Microorganisms (VKM). These strains were studied for their morphological characteristics and multilocus phylogenetic analysis (ITS, LSU, tub2, and rpb2). However, none of them are Ampelomyces. Based on the results obtained, it was established that all studied strains belong to other taxa of the order Pleosporales: Didymella glomerata, D. pomorum, Nothophoma brennandiae, N. quercina, N. spiraeae. The species Ampelomyces artemisiae, A. heraclei, A. polygoni, A. ulicis, and A. uncinulae, for which the material type was studied, should be the heterotypic (taxonomic) synonyms of the taxon Didymella glomerata. Historical experimental data confirming hyperparasitism are provided for nine of the studied strains. Full article

Agricultural and horticultural by-products represent an underexploited source of valuable bioactive compounds that can contribute to the development of more sustainable production systems. This study investigated the chemical composition and biological activities of the essential oil obtained from the horticultural byproducts of Artemisia dracunculus. The waste aerial biomass was subjected to steam distillation, and the essential oil was characterized by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry. Its antioxidant, α-amylase and α-glucosidase inhibitory, phytotoxic, antibacterial, and antibiofilm activities were subsequently evaluated. The essential oil was characterized as an estragole-rich chemotype (70.17%), with trans-β-ocimene and cis-β-ocimene as other main constituents. The essential oil showed moderate antioxidant activity and measurable enzyme inhibitory activity and, despite showing limited effects on seed germination, it significantly inhibited radical elongation in selected plant species. Furthermore, it demonstrated excellent antibiofilm activity, significantly reducing the metabolic activity of mature cells of bacteria associated with biofilm formation: Listeria monocytogenes, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, Acinetobacter baumannii, Klebsiella pneumoniae and Staphylococcus aureus. The results demonstrate how horticultural by-products from A. dracunculus maintain a chemical profile comparable to conventional plant material and represent a valuable source of bioactive compounds with promising potential for sustainable agri-food applications. Full article

The mixed application of plant residues to treat petroleum-contaminated soil may increase remediation efficiency by leveraging their mixed decomposition effects. However, it remains unclear whether this approach may also lead to opposite effects. In this study, plant residues of 7 common plant species, namely, Bothriochloa ischaemum (Bi), Lespedeza davurica (Ld), Artemisia gmelinii (Ag), Heteropappus altaicus (Ha), Artemisia annua (Aa), Sophora davidii (Sd), and Agropyron cristatum (Ac), from the petroleum-producing area of northern Shaanxi and their 9 mixtures were used to treat petroleum-contaminated soil with a crude oil content of 15.00 g kg⁻¹. The samples were incubated at 25 °C under constant humidity for 120 days to determine the potential effects of mixed plant residues on stimulating contaminant degradation and restoring soil biological and chemical properties. The results revealed that (1) among all mixed plant residue treatments, combinations of BiLdAg, LdSd and HaAa significantly weakened the overall contaminant degradation efficiency. In particular, the LdSd and HaAa mixtures simultaneously strongly inhibited the degradation of saturated hydrocarbons and aromatic hydrocarbons; compared with the expected theoretical values, their degradation rates decreased by 12.36–35.25% and 9.91–19.82%, respectively (p < 0.05). (2) Mixtures including LdAgHa, BiLdAg, LdSd, LdAgHaAa, LdHa and HaAgAcSd significantly impaired the capacity of plant residues to replenish soil available nutrients and activate soil enzyme activities. The LdAgHa mixture exhibited the strongest antagonistic effect: its improvement efficiency in terms of soil nitrate nitrogen content and sucrase, dehydrogenase and polyphenol oxidase activities (the increase relative to that in contaminated soil) decreased by 30.60–76.89% relative to the theoretical expectations (p < 0.05). Overall, the effects of mixed plant residue addition on contaminant degradation and the restoration of damaged soil biochemical properties were negatively correlated. (3) Increased chemical specialization of mixed residues and higher mass proportions of Ld and Bi residues in mixtures tended to aggravate the above antagonistic inhibitory effects. When all the remediation indicators were comprehensively evaluated, the mixed application of plant residues failed to universally improve the remediation performance of crude oil-contaminated soil. Under experimental conditions, BiLdAg and LdSd residue combinations may lead to remarkable antagonistic interactions and lower the efficiency of necrophytoremediation, which should be avoided in practical field applications of this remediation technology. Full article

Efficient micropropagation systems are essential for the large-scale production of uniform and high-quality plant material in aromatic species. In this study, the effects of gibberellic acid (GA₃; 1.4, 2.8, and 5.6 $\mathsf{\mu }$M) and methyl jasmonate (MeJA; 2.2, 4.4, and 8.8 $\mathsf{\mu }$M) were evaluated on the in vitro performance of Artemisia pontica across two successive subcultures. Morphological, physiological, and biochemical parameters were assessed, and the most effective treatment was further investigated through scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to evaluate leaf trichome characteristics. GA₃ treatments significantly enhanced shoot growth, shoot number, and relative growth rate, with the strongest response observed at 2.8 $\mathsf{\mu }$M. This concentration also promoted higher chlorophyll content and antioxidant activity, indicating improved physiological status and metabolic performance of plantlets. In contrast, MeJA treatments, particularly at 8.8 $\mathsf{\mu }$M, reduced growth performance and pigment accumulation, suggesting a less favorable physiological status for micropropagation. Multivariate analysis (PCA and hierarchical clustering) revealed a clear separation among treatments, with GA₃ at 2.8 $\mathsf{\mu }$M associated with a coordinated increase in growth-related and antioxidant traits. SEM analysis showed that GA₃ influenced leaf epidermal structure, increasing the density of T-shaped, non-glandular trichomes and the diameter of glandular secreting trichomes, suggesting structural adjustments linked to metabolic activity. Overall, the results indicate that GA₃ at 2.8 $\mathsf{\mu }$M represents the most effective supplementation under the tested conditions, promoting a balanced improvement in shoot proliferation, physiological performance, antioxidant activity, and selected structural traits. Full article

Background: Artemisia absinthium (A. absinthium) is a perennial plant valued for its antibacterial, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory properties, exhibiting broader therapeutic potential. Given the need to deliver low doses of A. absinthium extract, mesoporous silica nanoparticles have attracted considerable attention as promising nanocarriers due to their distinctive physical and chemical properties. Methods: Physicochemical characterization of the materials was performed and biological assays were conducted to investigate the ROS, antibacterial and antioxidant activity of A. absinthium extract encapsulated within cerium- and calcium-doped mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MNSiCaCe) against both aerobic and anaerobic bacteria. Results: FTIR, SEM, and BET analysis confirmed successful synthesis of the MNSiCaCe. Phytochemical profiling of Artemisia absinthium extract using HPLC revealed the presence of artemisinin and a rich composition of phenolic and flavonoid constituents, with a total phenolic content of 182 ± 3.6 mg GAE/100 g dry plant material and a total flavonoid content of 42.5 ± 0.6 mg QE/100 g. Quantitative drug loading profiling demonstrated that while plain MNSi nanocarriers achieved a loading capacity of 16.96%, the MNSiCaCe enhanced this threshold to 43.11%. The in vitro controlled-release kinetics exhibited a highly prolonged and slow-release profile of the MNSiCaCe. The materials demonstrated excellent hemocompatibility and high mitochondrial activity with human periodontal ligament cells (hPDLCs). Elevated ROS generation was observed under conditions where antibacterial activity was most pronounced. While the artemisinin-doped nanoparticles showed notable antibacterial effects, the complete Artemisia absinthium-loaded nanoparticles achieved a significantly greater reduction in bacterial viability probably due to the synergistic interaction between artemisinin and the extract’s rich polyphenol profile. Conclusions: These findings highlight MNSiCaCe as a promising and safe nanocarrier system for drug delivery, with strong antibacterial potential, offering valuable applications in antibacterial therapies. Full article

Background/Objectives: Artemisia annua essential oil (EO) possesses diverse biological activities; however, its practical application is limited by volatility, instability, and poor bioavailability. This study aimed to develop chitosan-coated nanostructured lipid carriers (CH-NLCs) for efficient encapsulation and delivery of A. annua EO and to evaluate their physicochemical characteristics and biological performance. Methods: The nanoformulation exhibited favorable physicochemical properties, including a high encapsulation efficiency (85.97 ± 1.30%) and a strongly positive surface charge (approximately +45 mV), indicating good colloidal stability. Structural analyses by SEM, FTIR, and XRD confirmed successful encapsulation of the EO within the nanocarrier matrix. Results: The CH-NLC formulation significantly enhanced larvicidal activity against Aedes aegypti larvae, reducing the LC₅₀ value from 213 ppm for the free EO to 142 ppm. Enhanced antifungal activity was also observed, with 47–56% greater inhibition against Malassezia furfur, Trichophyton mentagrophytes, and Candida albicans compared with the free EO. Furthermore, CH-NLC demonstrated improved cytotoxic activity against skin cancer cell lines, achieving IC₅₀ values of 21.4 ± 1.7 µg/mL and 30.1 ± 1.6 µg/mL against A431 and A375 cells, respectively, while maintaining lower toxicity toward normal HaCaT keratinocytes. Mechanistic investigations revealed enhanced apoptosis and an approximately 3-fold increase in intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels in treated cancer cells. Conclusions: Collectively, these findings indicate that chitosan-coated nanostructured lipid carriers effectively improve the stability and biological efficacy of A. annua essential oil and represent a promising platform for future biomedical and biocidal applications. Full article

Medicinal plants are rich sources of bioactive secondary metabolites, yet their long-term effects on the rhizosphere (RS) microbial communities remain poorly understood, particularly with respect to microbial selection and functional potential. This study evaluated the number of selected groups of microorganisms culturable in vitro in the RS and bulk soil (BS) within 10-year monocultures of 11 medicinal plant species, and as a targeted case study, we performed shotgun metagenomic profiling for Allium ursinum. The abundance of microorganisms differed markedly among plant species, indicating species-specific RS selection. Azotobacter spp. showed the strongest variation: they were not detected in the RS of Allium ursinum, Thymus vulgaris, and Carum carvi, whereas higher counts were observed under Artemisia dracunculus (135.1 × 10² CFU g⁻¹ DM), Melissa officinalis (67.1 × 10² CFU g⁻¹ DM) and Calendula officinalis (38.8× 10² CFU g⁻¹ DM). Azotobacter spp. may serve as a sensitive candidate indicator of RS imbalance. Metagenomic analysis of the A. ursinum-associated soil revealed fine-scale taxonomic restructuring, while major functional categories remained broadly similar between the RS and BS. The novelty of this study lies in the development of the Integrated Microbiological Health Soil Index (IMHSI) and the proposal of a Nitrogen Enrichment Index (NEI) as exploratory composite metrics that integrate selected functional microbial groups. Full article

Artemisia campestris is a medicinal plant species endemic to Algeria, particularly abundant in the southern regions and the central Sahara. Its long-standing use in traditional medicine has recently gained scientific attention, prompting further investigation into its bioactive potential. This study focuses on the phytochemical composition and biological activity of its hydromethanolic extract, with a particular emphasis on its ability to inhibit neural enzymes associated with insect physiology with particular relevance to Aphis gossypii (Glover), a major polyphagous agricultural pest. Preliminary screening revealed a diverse array of secondary metabolites, including tannins (catechic and gallic), flavonoids, quinones, glycosides, terpenoids, saponins, coumarins, and alkaloids; however, anthocyanins were not detected. Quantitative analysis confirmed high concentrations of total phenolics (80.91 ± 1.58 mg GAE/g), flavonoids (60.45 ± 2.02 mg RE/g), phenolic acids (4.24 ± 0.38 mg CAE/g), and condensed tannins (2.26 ± 0.29 mg CE/g). Enzyme inhibition assays were performed using Ellman’s method, and IC₅₀ values were calculated by nonlinear regression analysis based on dose–response curves. The extract demonstrated significant in vitro inhibitory activity against acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BChE), with IC₅₀ values of 13.79 ± 0.79 µg/mL and 8.34 ± 0.58 µg/mL, respectively. Molecular docking analyses further confirmed strong binding affinities of cyanidin-3-O-glucoside, malvidin-3-O-glucoside, and apigenin (−8.20 to −8.50 kcal/mol) with the AChE active site, stabilized by hydrogen bonding and π–π interactions with key residues. These results were benchmarked against galantamine, a reference inhibitor, which exhibited IC₅₀ values of 1.50 ± 0.12 µg/mL under the same conditions. Although galantamine showed superior potency, the relatively low IC₅₀ values of the A. campestris extract support its potential as a natural cholinesterase-inhibitory agent warranting further investigation. These findings suggest that A. campestris may represent a promising source of natural cholinesterase inhibitors with potential relevance for eco-friendly insect control. These in vitro and in silico findings provide a mechanistic rationale warranting future in vivo bioassay validation against A. gossypii and related agricultural pests. Full article

Ants, plants, and hemipterans in tritrophic mutualisms represent closer approximations to real ecosystems compared to twofold mutualisms, playing a critical role in ecosystem functioning. Although habitat degradation is a useful framework for investigating the stability of mutualisms, few studies have focused on such mutualistic interactions in degraded grassland. In this study, we conducted both a field and a greenhouse experiment to assess the effect of grassland degradation on the organization of ant–plant networks and ant-hemipteran-plant tritrophic interactions in the light and severely degraded grassland of Songnen Plain, China. In general, we found that severe degradation of grassland changed the spatial distribution pattern of ant–plant networks from uniform to aggregation and increased the species diversity within these networks and facilitated the Lasius flavus-aphid/mealybugs-Artemisia scoparia tritrophic mutualisms. L. flavus improves individual plant performance by increasing plant height, reducing soil moisture content, and facilitating seed transportation of A. scoparia. These advantages enhance plant fitness and population spread of A. scoparia, consequently boosting its dominance within degraded grassland habitats. In turn, the well-developed root of A. scoparia attracted more L. flavus and aphid/mealybugs by providing living space and food. Our findings enhance the understanding of tritrophic mutualisms and their mechanisms in the context of grassland degradation, thus providing valuable information for the conservation, management, and restoration of degraded grassland. Full article

COVID-19 has spurred much interest in complementary and alternative agents for therapeutic purposes having antiviral and immunomodulatory effects. In these, natural products and bioactive compounds from plants have been at the center of attention due to their easy access, relatively low risk and long history of use in traditional medicine. This paper reviews in detail and critically assesses the scientific data that presently proposes the use of certain cannabinoids, cannabimimetic compounds and Artemisia species in the treatment and prevention of COVID-19. It gives an account of medicinal approaches to cannabinoids like cannabidiol (CBD), Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) alongside other minor cannabinoids and synthetic and naturally-occurring cannabimimetics. The paper reports the potential of Artemisia annua and other species as treatments, especially focusing on their antiviral, anti-regulatory, anti-inflammatory and immunomodulating properties. It highlights the molecular interactions with SARS-CoV-2 targets as well as cytokine regulation and modulation of oxidative stress pathways, with special emphasis on these areas. The paper raises multiple issues like preclinical and clinical studies, safety aspects, regulatory hurdles and drawbacks related to the use of these natural compounds. After analyzing all the available data, the article entertains the idea of a cannabinoid–Artemisia combination as a supportive or adjunct therapy in COVID-19 treatment. It also points out that the clinical trials are insufficient concerning the establishment of effectiveness, determination of the appropriate dosage and assurance of the long-term safety of the treatment. Full article

Background: Secondary metabolites not only constitute the material basis for plant responses to multiple environmental stresses but are also extensively utilized in the pharmaceutical industry. Methods: In the present work, we investigated the metabolic response of Artemisia argyi to UV-A irradiation through transcriptomic and metabolomic analyses. Results: After 16 h of UV-A treatment with an intensity of 2.5 μmol m⁻² s⁻¹ and 8 h of dark cultivation, a total of 4343 differentially expressed genes were identified, most of which were associated with fatty acid metabolism, biosynthesis of secondary metabolites, and ribosome. Of the 1959 metabolites detected in samples exposed to a 16/8 h UV-A/dark cycle for 6 days, a total of 223 differentially accumulated metabolites were identified and classified into 12 subgroups, with phenolic acids and flavonoids representing the largest subgroups. Comprehensive analyses indicated that polyphenols and terpenes play critical roles in the adaptation of A. argyi to UV-A irradiation. The phytohormone methyl jasmonate was identified as a key regulator of the enhanced synthesis of these secondary metabolites, through activation of transcription factors from the MYB and bHLH families. Conclusions: This study deepens our understanding of secondary metabolic regulation in response to UV-A stress and provides a simple and reliable method to promote the accumulation of specific secondary metabolites in Artemisia species. Full article

Weed infestation remains a major constraint in wheat production, highlighting the need for accurate and scalable monitoring approaches. Recent advances in unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) and deep learning (DL) have created new opportunities for field-scale weed detection. This study evaluates the performance of three DL models (Mask R-CNN, YOLO26s-seg, and RT-DETR-L) for detecting common weed species in a 4-hectare rain-fed wheat field in Mongolia using UAV-acquired images. The following three weed species were identified as the most abundant under the dry environmental conditions of 2025: Linaria buriatica, Neneo pulla, and Artemisia scoparia. The models were evaluated using Precision, Recall, and F1-score. The detection F1-score for the L. buriatica, N. pulla and A. scoparia was 0.642, 0.568 and 0.163 for Mask R-CNN; 0.615, 0.655, 0.335 for YOLO26s-seg; and 0.693, 0.647, 0.275 for RT-DETR-L, respectively. Segmentation F1-score values were 0.659, 0.600, 0.179 for Mask R-CNN, whereas YOLO26s-seg achieved 0.613, 0.658, 0.326, respectively. RT-DETR-L achieved the best overall detection performance for the dominant species, while YOLO26s-seg showed the strongest detection of minority species, and Mask R-CNN produced the most accurate segmentation boundaries. Despite the imbalance in weed instances their morphological characteristics influenced the performance of the model. These findings demonstrate the feasibility of UAV imagery and DL models in precise weed management practices in Mongolia. Full article

Invasive alien plants seriously threaten native plant biodiversity and agricultural production. The development of environmentally friendly agriculture requires sustainable weed control techniques to manage these invasive alien weeds. This study evaluated the allelopathic effects of ethanol extract from Artemisia frigida against five invasive alien plants (Ageratum conyzoides, Bidens pilosa, Ipomoea purpurea, Eclipta prostrata, and Amaranthus retroflexus). The main components in the extract were identified using high-performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS), and we assessed their allelopathic effects on seed germination of the five species. The results showed that the ethanol extract of A. frigida completely inhibited seed germination of all five invasive plants at 5 g·L⁻¹. Thirteen components were identified, among which 4-ethyloctanoic acid, cis-jasmone, and p-anisic acid exhibited significant inhibitory effects. Notably, 4-ethyloctanoic acid demonstrated broad-spectrum herbicidal activity. At 50 mg·L⁻¹, it completely inhibited B. pilosa growth and had the strongest inhibitory effects on A. conyzoides and E. prostrata. This compound disrupted redox homeostasis and induced oxidative stress by modulating antioxidant enzyme activities, including superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD), and catalase (CAT). These findings indicate that 4-ethyloctanoic acid is the main allelochemical with herbicidal potential in A. frigida, providing a theoretical basis for developing novel herbicides and environmentally friendly control techniques for invasive alien plants. Full article