Pharmacological Actions

Anti-inflammatory^{[1, 3, 4, 5, 13, 14, 15]}

Antimicrobial^{[3, 6, 7, 13, 14, 15]}

Antioxidant^{[13, 14, 15]}

Antispasmodic^{[13, 14, 15]}

Antispasmodic (cramp easing)

Digestive aid^{[4, 13, 14, 15]}

Sedative / sleep support^{[13, 14, 15]}

Traditional & Indicated Uses

Arthritis / joint pain^{[13, 14, 15]}Traditional · 1/10

inferred from anti-inflammatory action

more plants for arthritis / joint pain →detailed sources →

Bloating^{[13, 14, 15]}Traditional · 1/10

inferred from digestive action

more plants for bloating →detailed sources →

Indigestion^{[13, 14, 15]}Traditional · 1/10

inferred from digestive action

more plants for indigestion →detailed sources →

Infection (general)^{[13, 14, 15]}Traditional · 1/10

inferred from antimicrobial action

more plants for infection (general) →detailed sources →

Inflammation (general)^{[13, 14, 15]}Traditional · 1/10

inferred from anti-inflammatory action

more plants for inflammation (general) →detailed sources →

Insomnia / sleeplessness^{[13, 14, 15]}Traditional · 1/10

inferred from sedative action

more plants for insomnia / sleeplessness →detailed sources →

Menstrual cramps^{[13, 14, 15]}Traditional · 1/10

more plants for menstrual cramps →detailed sources →

Muscle spasm^{[13, 14, 15]}Traditional · 1/10

inferred from antispasmodic action

more plants for muscle spasm →detailed sources →

Skin irritation^{[13, 14, 15]}Traditional · 1/10

inferred from anti-inflammatory action

more plants for skin irritation →detailed sources →

Wounds^{[13, 14, 15]}Traditional · 1/10

inferred from antimicrobial action

more plants for wounds →detailed sources →

Safety, Cautions & Contraindications

Safety note^{[13, 14, 15]}Caution

Contains thujone; avoid high doses or prolonged use. Contraindicated in pregnancy (uterine stimulant and abortifacient). May cause allergic reactions in individuals sensitive to the Asteraceae family. Avoid in epilepsy. Not recommended for children.

Safety note^{[13, 14, 15]}Caution

Duke (2002) rates mugwort as + (use with caution) and notes abortifacient (score 1), emmenagogue, aperitif (score 1), and insecticide activities. Duke clearly flags mugwort as contraindicated in pregnancy due to well-documented abortifacient and uterotonic properties. Traditional use has been as a digestive bitter, and the plant contains volatile oils, sesquiterpene lactones, and flavonoids. Duke notes that the plant may cause allergic reactions in individuals sensitive to Asteraceae and warns against long-term use due to potential neurotoxicity from thujone-containing essential oil (Duke, 2002).

References

REF-0731, REF-0732, REF-0733, REF-1935, REF-1936, REF-1937, REF-1938, REF-1939, REF-1940, REF-1941, REF-1942, REF-1943

References & Sources

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Trinh, P.T.N., Truc, N.C., Danh, T.T., Trang, N.T.T., Le Hang, D.T. et al (2024) 'A study on the antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and xanthine oxidase inhibitory activity of the Artemisia vulgaris L. extract and its fractions', Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 334, pp. 118519. doi:10.1016/j.jep.2024.118519 Preclinical
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https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodres.2018.03.072
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https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules28052279
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https://doi.org/10.1002/cbdv.201700257
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https://doi.org/10.1080/14786419.2022.2025591
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https://doi.org/10.1007/s11655-023-3712-2
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https://doi.org/10.3892/br.2022.1575
Tiwari, R.K., Ahmad, A., Khan, A.F., Al-Keridis, L.A., Saeed, M., Alshammari, N., Alabdallah, N.M., Ansari, I.A. and Mujeeb, F (2023) 'Ethanolic Extract of Artemisia vulgaris Leaf Promotes Apoptotic Cell Death in Non-Small-Cell Lung Carcinoma A549 Cells through Inhibition of the Wnt Signaling Pathway', Metabolites, 13(4), pp. 480. doi:10.3390/metabo13040480 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.3390/metabo13040480
Becker, H (1986) 'Botany of European Artemisia species', pp. 1--24. Traditional / reference
Find this source
Grieve, M (1931) 'A Modern Herbal'. Traditional / reference
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