Phytochemical analysis and hemodynamic actions of Artemisia vulgaris L

Artemisia vulgaris L. is widely used in the Philippines for its anti-inflammatory properties. The plant was cultivated and mature leaves were collected and washed. The dried leaves were extracted with both distilled water and chloroform. NMR data were obtained using a Varian Unity 500 MHz spectrophotometer. High and low-resolution mass spectra were obtained on a Finnigan MAT 96 high resolution gas chromatograph/mass spectrophotometer with a MAT ICIS operating system. The leaves yielded 2 sesquiterpene lactones and a novel aromatic compound. Two partition fractions from the aqueous extracts and four partition fractions from the chloroform extracts were tested on male Sprague-Dawley rats using both the in situ mesenteric circulation and the isolated perfused mesentery. In the isolated perfused rat mesentery, administration of 10% w/v solutions of water extract fractions FGN 63-1 and FGN 63-2 of A. vulgaris were highly effective in reversing the hypertensive action induced by norepinephrine, but they did not change the regional mesenteric pressures when given at baseline. In the intact rat, injection of 10 mg/ml of FGN 63-1 and chloroform extract FGN 64-2 did not significantly alter baseline blood pressures, but were able to reverse the increase in mean systolic and diastolic pressures induced by norepinephrine. The same fractions did not exert any significant effect on heart rate in either the normotensive or hypertensive states. The present data suggest that aqueous and chloroform extracts from leaves of A. vulgaris have anti-hypertensive actions but have no significant effects on cardiovascular hemodynamics under basal conditions.