Chinese Mugwort
Scientific Name(s): Artemisia argyi Levl. et Vant.
Common Name(s): Chinese mugwort
Medically reviewed by Drugs.com. Last updated on Jul 5, 2021.
Clinical Overview
Use
Anticancer activity of flavones isolated from Chinese mugwort against several cancer cell lines has been documented in numerous in vitro and animal studies. However, clinical trials are lacking to support use in cancer treatment or prevention.
Dosing
Chinese mugwort is available commercially in the United States and Europe, but dosing information is limited. Most products are available in powder and oil doseforms. Other products contain herbal mixtures that include Chinese mugwort.
Contraindications
Avoid use if hypersensitivity to any Chinese mugwort components exists. No absolute contraindications have been documented.
Pregnancy/Lactation
Information regarding safety and efficacy in pregnancy and lactation is lacking.
Interactions
The flavones eupatilin and jaceosidin may potently inhibit drugs metabolized by CYP1A2 (eg, several antidepressants and antipsychotics, some antibiotics) and CYP2C9 (numerous analgesic, antipyretic, anti-inflammatory, antiepileptic, statin, antidiabetic, anticoagulant, anticancer, antifungal, and antibacterial medications).
Adverse Reactions
Information is limited. One study suggests that the proteins in Chinese mugwort may cause severe allergies in hypersensitive individuals.
Toxicology
Information is limited.
Scientific Family
- Asteraceae
Botany
The genus Artemisia contains approximately 500 species. A. argyi is an herbaceous perennial plant that typically grows 30 to 50 cm in height and has a main or single taproot system. Chinese mugwort is grayish in color with ovate leaves 5 to 7 cm long and 3 to 5 cm wide. The flowers are pale yellow, and the whole plant is strongly aromatic. The plant is native to China and Japan, prefers dry soil, and has a growth cycle from March to October.1, 2, 3
History
Since ancient times, Chinese mugwort has been used in several applications. The plant is edible and can be used to make pastries, breads, dumplings, and cakes, and can be mixed with rice or processed into tea or wine. It has also been used as an air purifier and a mosquito repellent.4
In traditional Chinese medicine, the leaf has been used to treat asthma, malaria, hepatitis, and inflammation, as well as fungal, bacterial, and viral infections.5 The leaves have been used to treat tuberculosis, menstrual symptoms, and eczema, and are chewed to relieve cough.6, 7 Chinese mugwort is used in the traditional Chinese medicine therapy moxibustion to help heat the area being treated in acupuncture.4, 8
Eupatilin is a pharmacologically active flavone from Chinese mugwort.9 A synthetic analog of eupatilin is being evaluated in various phase 1 and 2 trials for treating dry eye and gastritis.
Chemistry
Extensive chemical studies of Artemisia species, including Chinese mugwort, document many compounds, including monoterpenes, sesquiterpenes, triterpenes, and flavones.10, 11, 12, 13, 14 Phytochemical databases of Chinese herbal constituents document approximately 106 bioactive compounds in Chinese mugwort.
