개똥쑥(Artemisia annua L.)은 국화과 (Compositae)에 속하는 일년생 초본으로 예로부터 진 통, 안면마비 등의 신경계 질환과 위염, 호흡기 등의 질병치료 목적으로 이용되는 식물로 알려져 있다. 개똥쑥을 열수 및 70% 에탄올로 추출하여 추출용매에 따른 추출물의 농도별로 항산화 활성 및 항염증 효과에 미치는 영향을 검토하고자 실시하였다. 총 polyphenol의 함량은 개똥쑥 70% 에탄올 추출물에서 열수 추출물에 비하여 유의적으로 높게 나타났으나, 총 flavonoid 함량은 개똥쑥 열수 추출물과 70% 에 탄올 추출물에서 유의적 차이는 보이지 않았다. DPPH radical 소거능력과 ABTS radical 소거능력은은 62.5∼500 μg/mL 농도에서는 비타민 C 처리구에서 가장 높게 나타났고 그 다음으로는 70% 에탄올 추출물, 열수 추출물 순으로 높게 나타났다. 125 ∼ 500 μg/mL에서 NO 생성 억제효과를 측정한 결 과 열수 추출물에서는 500 μg/mL 농도에서 강한 NO 생성 억제를 보이며, 농도의존적으로 NO 생성 억제를 나타났다. 70% 에탄올 추출물에서는 NO 생성 억제 뿐 아니라 염증성 싸이토카인 발현을 현저 히 억제하는 결과를 보이며, 농도의존적인 억제 효과를 나타났다. 개똥쑥은 항산화효과 및 염증성 싸이 토카인의 발현을 현저히 감소시키는 효과를 보이므로 염증성 질환 치료 및 개선에 널리 사용될 수 있으 리라 사료된다.

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is emerging as the most common liver disease in industrialized countries. Recently, natural compounds that may be beneficial for improving NAFLD have received increasing attention. Artemisia annua L. is the source of antimalarial phytomolecule, artemisinin, which has been reported to prevent obesity. However, the effect of A. annua extract on hepatic lipid metabolism remains unclear. This study was performed to determine the protective effect of Artemisia annua extract (AAE) on high-fat diet (HFD)-induced hepatic lipid accumulation, and elucidate the molecular mechanisms behind its effects in vivo and in vitro. We found that HFD-fed mice with AAE administration (50 mg/kg/day) for 8 weeks dramatically reduced hepatic lipid accumulation compared to the control mice taken with HFD alone. The body and liver weights of AAE group were significantly lower than those of HFD group, and oral administration of AAE remarkably suppressed the serum levels of triglyceride (TG), total cholesterol (TC), fasting glucose, alanine transaminase (ALT) and aspartate transaminase (AST) in HFD-fed mice. AAE significantly increased the phosphorylation of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) and acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC) in the liver of HFD-fed mice and HepG2 hepatocytes. Moreover, AAE downregulated the hepatic expression of sterol regulatory element-binding protein-1c (SREBP-1c) and fatty acid synthase (FAS) in HFD-fed mice and high glucose-treated HepG2 cells. In addition, the inhibitory effects of AAE on the overexpression of SREBP-1c and FAS were attenuated by compound C, which is the specific AMPK inhibitor, in high glucose-treated HepG2 cells. These results indicated that AAE may represent a promising approach for the prevention and treatment of obesity-related NAFLD via the activation of AMPK and the regulation of AMPK-dependent lipogenic genes.

Artemisia annua (AA) is a well-known as a source of antimalarial drug (artemisinin), which also has been traditionally used as an antipyretic and hemostatic agent in Korea and China. In preclinical effective study, a water extract of Artemisia annua (WEAA) ameliorated weight gain and hepatic lipid accumulation in high-fat diet-fed mice. The plasma levels of triglyceride, AST, and ALT were reduced in the WEAA-treated group. Based on these results, the safety of WEAA as a functional ingredient for liver health was evaluated in this repeated dose oral toxicity study before the clinical trial. Sprague- Dawley (SD) rats were treated by gavage with 20 times (1,000 mg/kg) more than the effective dose for 13 weeks. All rats had survived at the end of the study, and there were no changes indicating obviously abnormal clinical sign and behavior. The treatment of WEAA were also observed no obvious toxicities in the body weights, urine, hematological, serum biochemical, ophthalmic and histopathological examinations. Based on the results of this study, the NOAEL (no-observed-adverse-effect level) of WEAA in SD rats was estimated to be 1,000 mg/kg. In conclusion, WEAA could be used as a safe functional ingredient for the improvement of liver health in individuals with hepatic diseases including nonalcoholic steatohepatitis.