Antiviral and antioxidant effects of Artemisia annua against virus infection

Background: Natural extracts are a rich source of bioactive with potential pharmacotherapeutic applications. Artemisia annua (A. annua) is a medicinal plant belonging to the Asteraceae family, which is widely distributed throughout temperate areas. Artemisinin derivatives, collectively called artemisinins, include artesunate, dihydro-artemisinin, artemether, arteannuin B, and artemisone. Over the centuries, medicinal herbs have been used as a treatment and preventive strategy for several diseases, including respiratory viral infections. The benefit of these herbs in viral respiratory infections is mainly due to their antiviral and antioxidant effects. The identification of natural molecules able to counteract virus replication, inflammation, and oxidative stress represents a new medical challenge for infections. Material and Methods: We focused our attention on A. annua enriched extracts which were submitted to in vitro biological evaluation as antiviral and antioxidant agents with the potential application against the COVID-19 infection. Epithelial A549 lung cell line were used as a model of induced oxidative stress. Vero E6 cells were used SARS-CoV-2 replication. Results: In our first results, the crude extract of A. annua showed antioxidant effect, in concentrations that do not affect cell viability. This extract showed also an antiviral effect when used at a concentration of 100 µg/mL. Conclusion: Our investigation evidenced the antiviral and antioxidant effects of the A. annua crude extract for the treatment of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Investigation of single main components of the extract brought to light artemisinic acid as a promising natural compound worth of further investigation. Found: This research was supported by EU funding within the NextGenerationEUMUR PNRR Extended Partnership initiative on Emerging Infectious Diseases (Project no. PE00000007, INF-ACT)