''Artemisia herba-alba'', the white wormwood, is a perennial

shrub A shrub (often also called a bush) is a small-to-medium-sized perennial woody plant. Unlike herbaceous plants, shrubs have persistent woody stems above the ground. Shrubs can be either deciduous or evergreen. They are distinguished from trees ...

in the genus '' Artemisia'' that grows commonly on the dry

steppe In physical geography, a steppe () is an ecoregion characterized by grassland plains without trees apart from those near rivers and lakes. Steppe biomes may include: * the montane grasslands and shrublands biome * the temperate grasslands, ...

s of the Mediterranean regions in Northern Africa (Saharan Maghreb), Western Asia (

Arabian Peninsula The Arabian Peninsula, (; ar, شِبْهُ الْجَزِيرَةِ الْعَرَبِيَّة, , "Arabian Peninsula" or , , "Island of the Arabs") or Arabia, is a peninsula of Western Asia, situated northeast of Africa on the Arabian Plate ...

) and Southwestern Europe. It is used as an antiseptic and antispasmodic in

herbal medicine Herbal medicine (also herbalism) is the study of pharmacognosy and the use of medicinal plants, which are a basis of traditional medicine. With worldwide research into pharmacology, some herbal medicines have been translated into modern remed ...

Names

Its

specific epithet In taxonomy, binomial nomenclature ("two-term naming system"), also called nomenclature ("two-name naming system") or binary nomenclature, is a formal system of naming species of living things by giving each a name composed of two parts, bot ...

''herba-alba'' means "white herb" in Latin, as its stems and leaves are white and woolly. Similarly, it is ' or ' in French. In Arabic, it is ' (). And it is ' () in

Old Testament Hebrew Biblical Hebrew (, or , ), also called Classical Hebrew, is an archaic form of the Hebrew language, a language in the Canaanite branch of Semitic languages spoken by the Israelites in the area known as the Land of Israel, roughly west of ...

. "Wormwood" (in the Bible, Rev. 8:10–11).

Botanical description

''Artemisia herba-alba'' is a chamaeophyte that grows to .

Leaves A leaf (plural, : leaves) is any of the principal appendages of a vascular plant plant stem, stem, usually borne laterally aboveground and specialized for photosynthesis. Leaves are collectively called foliage, as in "autumn foliage", wh ...

are strongly aromatic and covered with fine glandular hairs that reflect sunlight giving a grayish aspect to the shrub. The leaves of sterile shoots are grey,

petiolate Petiole may refer to: *Petiole (botany), the stalk of a leaf, attaching the blade to the stem *Petiole (insect anatomy) In entomology, petiole is the technical term for the narrow waist of some hymenopteran insects, especially ants, bees, a ...

, ovate to

orbicular Orbicular is an adjective meaning "circular" Orbicular may also refer to: * Orbicular leaf, a plant leaf shape * Orbicularis oculi muscle, a muscle around the eye * Orbicularis oris muscle, a muscle around the mouth * Orbicular batfish, a specie ...

in outline; whereas, the leaves of flowering stems, more abundant in winter, are much smaller. The flowering heads are sessile, oblong and tapering at base. The plant flowers from September to December. The

receptacle Receptacle may refer to: Biology * Receptacle (botany), a plant anatomical part * Seminal receptacle, a sperm storage site in some insects Electrical engineering * Automobile auxiliary power outlet, formerly known as ''cigarette lighter recep ...

is naked with 2–5 yellowish hermaphrodite flowers per head. Artemisia herba-alba

Phytochemistry

Essential oil An essential oil is a concentrated hydrophobic liquid containing volatile (easily evaporated at normal temperatures) chemical compounds from plants. Essential oils are also known as volatile oils, ethereal oils, aetheroleum, or simply as the o ...

of ''A. herba-alba'', from the Sinai Desert, contains mainly

1,8-cineole Eucalyptol is a monoterpenoid. A colorless liquid, it is a bicyclic ether. Eucalyptol has a fresh mint-like smell and a spicy, cooling taste. It is insoluble in water, but miscible with organic solvents. Eucalyptol makes up ~70% - 90% of eucaly ...

and appreciable amounts of α- / β- thujone as well as other oxygenated

monoterpenes Monoterpenes are a class of terpenes that consist of two isoprene units and have the molecular formula C10H16. Monoterpenes may be linear (acyclic) or contain rings (monocyclic and bicyclic). Modified terpenes, such as those containing oxygen funct ...

including terpinen-4-ol,

camphor Camphor () is a waxy, colorless solid with a strong aroma. It is classified as a terpenoid and a cyclic ketone. It is found in the wood of the camphor laurel ('' Cinnamomum camphora''), a large evergreen tree found in East Asia; and in the k ...

and

borneol Borneol is a bicyclic organic compound and a terpene derivative. The hydroxyl group in this compound is placed in an '' endo'' position. The exo diastereomer is called isoborneol. Being chiral, borneol exists as enantiomers, both of which are foun ...

. Davanone, chrysanthenone and cis-chrysanthenol have been described as major constituents in some populations of ''A. herba-alba'' from Morocco and Spain. Less common non-head-to-tail monoterpene alcohols have been identified in some populations from Negev desert, such as ''santolina'' alcohol and ''yomogi'' alcohol. Several sesquiterpene lactones were found in the aerial parts of ''A. herba-alba''. Mainly, eudesmanolides and

germacranolides Germacranolides are a group of natural chemical compounds classified as sesquiterpene lactone Sesquiterpene lactones (SLs) are a class of sesquiterpenoids that contain a lactone ring. They are most often found in plants of the family Asteraceae ( ...

types were reported in most cases. A variety of flavonoids were also described mainly with methylated (i.e. patuletin) and ''O''-methylated (i.e. hispidulin,

cirsilineol Cirsilineol is a bioactive flavone isolated from ''Artemisia'' and from ''Teucrium gnaphalodes ''Teucrium gnaphalodes'' is a plant species in the genus ''Teucrium''. It is endemic to the Iberian Peninsula and grows at altitudes between 200 and 15 ...

) aglycones. The presence of ''C''-glycosides (i.e. isovitexin, schaftoside, isoschaftoside) is also noticeable.

Uses

''Artemisia herba-alba'' is good

fodder Fodder (), also called provender (), is any agriculture, agricultural foodstuff used specifically to feed domesticated livestock, such as cattle, domestic rabbit, rabbits, sheep, horses, chickens and pigs. "Fodder" refers particularly to food g ...

for grazing animals, mainly sheep, and in the Algerian steppes cattle.

Herbal medicine

This species of sagebrush is widely used in

for its antiseptic, vermifuge and antispasmodic properties. ''Artemisia herba-alba'' was reported as a traditional remedy of enteritis, and various intestinal disturbances, among the Bedouins in the Negev desert. Based on laboratory assays, essential oil showed antibacterial activity, as well as, antispasmodic activity on rabbits and cytotoxic effect on cancer cells. ''Artemisia herba-alba'' based teas were used in Iraqi folk medicine for the treatment of diabetes mellitus. An aqueous extract of aerial parts of the plant has shown a

hypoglycemic Hypoglycemia, also called low blood sugar, is a fall in blood sugar to levels below normal, typically below 70 mg/dL (3.9 mmol/L). Whipple's triad is used to properly identify hypoglycemic episodes. It is defined as blood glucose belo ...

effect in alloxan-induced diabetic rabbits and mice.

Culture

''Artemisia herba-alba'' is thought to be the plant translated as "

wormwood Wormwood may refer to: Biology * Several plants of the genus ''Artemisia'': ** ''Artemisia abrotanum'', southern wormwood ** '' Artemisia absinthium'', common wormwood, grande wormwood or absinthe wormwood ** ''Artemisia annua'', sweet wormwood o ...

" in English-language versions of the Bible (''apsinthos'' in the Greek text). Wormwood is mentioned seven times in the Jewish Bible, always with the implication of bitterness. Wormwood is mentioned once in the New Testament, as the name of a star, also with implications of bitterness.

References

External links

Details for: Artemisia herba-alba – The Euro+Med Plantbase
– ''Retrieved 19 February 2010.''
Sahara-Nature: ''Artemisia herba-alba''
-''Retrieved 19 February 2010.'' {{Taxonbar, from=Q135698 herba-alba Flora of North Africa Flora of Western Asia Medicinal plants of Africa Medicinal plants of Asia Medicinal plants of Europe Plants described in 1779 Taxa named by Ignacio Jordán Claudio de Asso y del Río Flora of the Mediterranean Basin