Herb discovered to have activity against the SARS-CoV-2 virus

Wormwood (Artemisia annua) inhibits the growth of the virus and could be an additional therapeutic against COVID-19.

Todd Runestad, Content Director, SupplySideSJ.com

November 10, 2021

2 Min Read
Wormwood 2021.jpg

Groundbreaking research has identified a botanical that was subject of the 2015 Nobel Prize in medicine as also having activity against the global pandemic’s SARS-CoV-2 virus, which causes the COVID-19 disease.

Wormwood (Artemisia annua) was selected as being the best herbal candidate of 30 tested by researchers at the Ric Scalzo Institute for Botanical Research at the Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine in Tempe, Ariz.

Further results identified four fractions extracted using a 70% ethanol solvent as having promise against the virus that causes COVID-19.

“We know there is activity that is inhibiting the growth of the virus,” said Johanne Gerstel, Ph.D., a researcher at the Ric Scalzo Institute. “We have a novel and broad compound that has this anti-coronavirus family effect.”

Gerstel said they have not identified the mechanism of action yet, but they were at least able to isolate and identify the compound, a metabolite called artemisinin.

It is one of more than 600 secondary metabolites identified in Artemisia annua.

The herb has been used as an anti-malarial therapy. Tu Youyou won the 2015 Nobel Prize in medicine for the finding against malaria. The botanical has also been used as an anti-spasmodic and anti-rheumatic.

It took painstaking research first to identify wormwood as the best botanical against the SARS-CoV-2 virus, then even more work to characterize and identify the best fractions out of two dozen different fractions. Then they assayed three different ethanol extracts—at 50%, 70% and 95%. Only the 70% and 95% ethanol extracts showed any positive activity, but the researchers were concerned about cellular toxicity issues around the 95% ethanol extract, so they settled upon the 70% extract.

Then they had to test various solvents to find the artemisinin constituent.

The team plans on patenting this herbal extract through its business partners.

Ric Scalzo was founder of the Gaia Herbs supplement brand. He provided a philanthropic gift to the Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine (SCNM) to launch the research center, which opened in 2020. The Institute is working in collaboration with the natural products industry and other institutions to develop new products and improve existing botanical therapeutics through scientific exploration. SCNM is a school of medicine and health sciences grounded in naturopathic principles.

About the Author

Todd Runestad

Content Director, SupplySideSJ.com, SupplySide Supplement Journal

Todd Runestad has been writing on nutrition science news since 1997. He is content director for SupplySide Supplement Journal and its digital magazines. Other incarnations: content director for Natural Products Insider (now rebranded to SupplySide Supplement Journal), supplements editor for NewHope.com, Delicious Living!, and Natural Foods Merchandiser. Former editor-in-chief of Functional Ingredients magazine and still covers raw material innovations and ingredient science.

Connect with me here on LinkedIn.

Specialty

Todd writes about nutrition science news such as this story on mitochondrial nutrients, innovative ingredients such as this story about 12 trendy new ingredient launches from SupplySide West 2023, and is a judge for the NEXTY awards honoring innovation, integrity and inspiration in natural products including his specialty — dietary supplements. He extensively covered the rise and rise and rise and fall of cannabis hemp CBD. He helps produce in-person events at SupplySide West and SupplySide East trade shows and conferences, including the wildly popular Ingredient Idol game show, as well as Natural Products Expo West and Natural Products Expo East and the NBJ Summit. He was a board member for the Hemp Industries Association.

Education / Past Lives

In previous lives Todd was on the other side of nature from natural products — natural history — as managing editor at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science. He's sojourned to Burning Man and Mount Everest. He graduated many moons ago from the State University of New York College at Oneonta.

Quotes

"There is not a colds-and-flu season. There is a vitamin D-deficiency season."

"There is no such thing as inclement weather. Only improper attire."

Link answers question, "When taking magnesium, should you also take vitamin D3 2,000 IU?"

"Cannabis is nature's most nearly perfect plant."

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