Wormwood — the bitter herb that drives out parasites?

Aim of the study: Coccidiosis is a recurring disease in broiler flocks that causes significant economic losses. This study aims to evaluate the effect of Artemisia absinthium on coccidiosis in broilers through a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Results: However, the effectiveness of A. absinthium extract was not as significant as that of antibiotics (SMD = 0.57, 95% CI: -0.19 to 0.95; P = 0.0032). Various forms of administration and extracts of A. absinthium have demonstrated antiparasitic activity against Eimeria spp, making them suitable as natural anticoccidial agents.

Aim of the study: Nosema ceranae, a microsporidian parasite, as one of the stressors that contribute to honey bee decline, has a significant negative impact on the longevity, productivity, and reproductive capacity of honey bee colonies. There are several different strategies for Nosema infection control, including natural-based and antibiotic-based products.

Results: The results revealed a positive influence on the survival of Nosema-infected bees, regardless of when the supplement was given (day 1, day 3, or day 6 after bee emergence), as well as a reduction in Nosema loads and, consequently, Nosema-induced oxidative stress. Supplementation had no negative effects on bee immunity, but greater anti-Nosema than immune-stimulating effects were confirmed based on expression levels of the abaecin, defensin, hymenoptaecin, apidaecin, and vitellogenin genes. In conclusion, the tested supplement “Medenko forte” has great potential for protecting the health of Nosema-infected bees. However, further research is needed to clarify how it works.

Aim of the study: Trichinellosis is a helminthic disease caused by Trichinella spiralis through the ingestion of raw or undercooked meat from infected animals. Current estimates indicate that 11 million people worldwide have trichinellosis. The effective use of anti-Trichinella medicines is limited by side effects and resistance, highlighting the critical need for safe and effective drugs, particularly those derived from medicinal plants.

Results: Our findings showed that A. annua treatment reduced the number of adult T. spiralis worms in the intestines of infected animals. Moreover, treatment with A. annua restored normal intestinal structure, reduced edema, and eased inflammation, as shown by reduced inflammatory cell infiltration and TGF-β expression in the intestinal tissues of A. annua-treated animals compared with infected untreated animals. Our findings show that A. annua extract is effective in treating experimentally induced trichinellosis, highlighting its therapeutic potential for intestinal trichinellosis.

Aim of the study: Treatment of honey bee nosemosis is complicated by the ban on the use of antibiotics, which contaminate bee products. Researchers are seeking environmentally friendly preparations to suppress the development of nosemosis pathogens. The effect of the herbal preparations Artemisia absinthium L. tincture and “HB-101” on the development of the nosemosis pathogen, Nosema ceranae, was studied.

Results: The experiment confirmed that the most effective preparation was 1.5% A. absinthium tincture (1.76 ± 0.47 million spores), compared with 4.94 ± 1.00 million spores per bee in the control group (q'=3.285, p ≤ 0.01). The approved preparation “Fumagilin-B” significantly reduced the number of spores to 2.13 ± 0.47 million. The “HB-101” preparation slightly reduced the count to 2.53 ± 0.66 million spores per bee. Along with suppressing the development of the nosemosis pathogen, the probability of survival was also reduced. The greatest effect on survival (p ≤ 0.01) was observed with 1.5% wormwood tincture (0.073 ± 0.010) and “Fumagilin-B” (0.088 ± 0.005), compared with the control group (0.187 ± 0.008). “HB-101” reduced the probability of survival (p ≤ 0.05) to 0.161 ± 0.007. Wormwood tincture is a promising treatment for nosemosis.