Herbal Antibiotics: Natural Alternatives for Treating Drug-Resistant Bacteria (23 page)

All the plants in the genus do have some antibacterial and antimicrobial actions; however, those constituents are not nearly as systemic as those in the other plants in this chapter.
Artemisia annua
, artemisinin, and its related constituents are best thought of as systemic antihematoparasiticals; that is, specific for killing blood parasites, rather than systemic antibacterials. Nevertheless, for treating diseases in their range of action, they are great.

The aerial parts, including the flowers, which have the highest artemisinin content.

The whole herb has a much broader range of actions than the isolated constituent artemisinin.

Because the studies are few and plant preparation differs from study to study, the outcomes in the antibacterial studies of the artemisias are contradictory. They do find a range of antibacterial activity
across the artemisias—bearing out traditional uses of the genus—but the studies tend to vary on which bacteria the species are active against, leading to confusion. There is a tendency to extrapolate the clinical use of the plant based on its in vitro antibacterial activity, but that is a mistake, as it is with numerous other plants.

This same problem exists with goldenseal. Goldenseal is highly active against a number of bacterial organisms, but berberine, the strongest constituent, does not make it across the GI tract membrane in any quantity so the plant (and the constituent) is not a systemic antibacterial; it is mostly limited to the GI tract. Artemisinin, and some of the other antiparasitics in artemisia, are strongly systemic, but they have limited antibacterial activity. They are primarily antiparasitics for the blood and liver and antitumor agents.

The activities of the essential oils are more broadly antibacterial, but they are primarily confined to the GI tract when the plant is taken internally. This makes them useful for GI tract infections—or for use directly on the skin—but useless as systemic antibacterials. The traditional use of
Artemisia annua
, which gives a very good indication of its range of medicinal activity, has been primarily:

• For reducing fever—the plant stimulates sweating

• For topical use—it's useful for infected wounds and skin infections

• For GI tract problems and infections

• For female reproductive problems—primarily as an emmenagogue

• For liver problems

• As a steam inhalant for respiratory problems—which utilizes the essential oils

• For parasitic diseases of the blood and liver

Most of the antibacterial studies have been on the essential oils of various species but again, these oils do not disseminate widely in the bloodstream, which means they will be useful only for respiratory infections when used as steam, internally in the GI tract when prepared as a cold infusion (which keeps the oils in the liquid), or topically when used as a poultice or cold infusion wash. Nevertheless,
when used in these ways the artemisias are very good medicines for resistant organisms other than blood parasites.

A study of
Artemisia nilagirica
leaf extracts found the plant active against a range of both Gram-positive and Gram-negative organisms:
Bacillus subtilis
,
Clavibacter michiganensis, Enterobacter aerogenes
,
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
,
Pseudomonas syringae
,
Salmonella typhi
,
Shigella flexneri
, and
Yersinia enterocolitica
. It was not active against
Enterococcus faecalis
,
E. coli
,
Klebsiella pneumoniae
, or
Staphylococcus aureus
. A number of studies have found most artemisias inactive against
E. coli
,
Klebsiella
,
Pseudomonas
, and staph, but others, such as one looking at the activity of
Artemisia anomala
against
Bacillus subtilis
,
E. coli
,
Proteus vulgaris
,
Salmonella typhi
, and
Staphylococcus aureus
, have found the plant to be active. In that example a methanol extract was used. Given the solubility dynamics of artemisia constituents (including artemisinin), it seems likely that the variability in the studies is coming from solubility differentials (hexane, for example, is a much better solvent for artemisia constituents than anything else and artemisinin is much more highly soluble in fat—whole milk—than water).

Artemisinin:
The effective dosage for malaria is 500 to 1,000 mg on the first day and 500 mg daily thereafter for 2 to 4 more days. This will completely clear the malarial parasite from the blood. However, at 400 mg per day for 5 days, the recrudescence rate is 39 percent. Dosage at 800 mg drops the rate nearer to 3 percent. Chinese dosage runs from 500 mg to 1,600 mg for 3 days, repeated in 2 weeks (to treat newly hatching parasites). I do think there is some evidential support for 800 to 1,200 mg for 5 to 7 days, repeated for another 5 to 7 days in 2 weeks. The relapse rate is definitely smaller at the higher dose.

Note:
Artemisinin becomes less present in the blood the longer it is taken, so that by day 7 the constituent is present at only 24 percent of its day-1 levels.
The isolated constituent is not very effective if taken for longer than 7 days at a time for parasitical infections.
If it doesn't
work for babesia, for instance, within a few weeks, it is not going to. Pulsing will not help.

There are several things to keep in mind when preparing the whole herb for use:

• The fresh plant is the strongest.

• Whether fresh or dried, the plant should never be boiled.

• Fat helps extraction of the active constituents.

• The plant, while still potent for blood parasites, loses a lot of its antioxidant activities if dried.

• Dosage and length of use are crucial.

Traditional Chinese texts, thousands of years old, recommend preparation of the fresh herb, infused in room-temperature water, then pounded and wrung out to extract the plant juice as well. Examination has indeed shown that this produces the most potent infusions.

Many of the constituents in artemisia are not very water soluble, including the artemisinin. However, they are highly soluble in fats and alcohol.

Place 100 grams (about 4 ounces) of fresh herb (leaves and flowers) cut into pieces in a container, pour ½ quart (2 cups) hot water over the herb, cover, and let stand 12 hours. Wring out; drink it all. Do this daily for 7 days. Repeat after 2 weeks.

Run the fresh plant through a juicer. Take 1 tablespoon of the fresh juice every day for 7 days—you can stabilize the juice with the addition of 20 percent alcohol (see
page 227
). Repeat after 2 weeks.
Note:
The fresh juice is 6 to 17 times more potent than pure artemisinin; this and the tincture are the two most potent forms of the herb.

Actions

Antibacterial

Antifungal

Anti-inflammatory

Antimalarial

Antiparasitical

Antitumor

Antiviral

Calcium antagonist

Immunomodulant

Plasmodicide

Schizonticide

Active Against

Babesia
spp.

Bovine diarrheal virus

Clonorchis sinensis

Eimeria acervulina

Eimeria tenella

Epstein-Barr virus

Fasciola hepatica

Hepatitis B and C

Leishmania
spp.

Neospora caninum

Opisthorchis viverrini

Plasmodium
spp.

Schistosoma
spp.

Toxoplasma gondii

Trypanosoma
spp.

Also active against various cancer cell lines. Broadly active against dermatophytes—fungi that cause infections in hair, skin, and nails.
A. annua
is active against a number of bacteria in vitro, but the data in the various studies is contradictory, as usual. Specific for parasitic infections in the blood and liver and to some extent in the GI tract.

Decoctions of the herb are active against
Bacillus cereus
,
Bacillus subtilis
,
Bordetella bronchiseptica
,
E. coli
,
Klebsiella pneumoniae
,
Micrococcus flavus
,
Proteus vulgaris
,
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
,
Salmonella typhi
,
Salmonella typhimurium
,
Sarcina lutea
,
Staphylococcus aureus
,
Staphylococcus epidermidis
, and
Streptococcus mutans
.

A different extract (type not stated) was found to be active against
Mycobacterium avium
. Methanol extracts were found active against
Bacillus cereus
,
Bacillus pumilus
,
Bacillus subtilis
,
E. coli
,
Micrococcus luteus
,
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
,
Salmonella
spp., and
Staphylococcus aureus
.

The essential oil has been found active against
Candida albicans
,
Enterococcus hirae
,
E. coli
, and
Staphylococcus aureus
but not
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
.

Other Actions

The oil of
Artemisia tschernieviana
has been found active against
Bacillus cereus
,
Bacillus subtilis
,
Candida albicans
,
Enterobacter aerogenes
,
E. coli
,
Klebsiella pneumoniae
, and
Staphylococcus aureus
. This same antibacterial activity has been found in other artemisias:
A. absinthium
,
A. douglasiana
and
A. ludoviciana
(also
Helicobacter pylori
),
A. echegarayi
(also active against
Proteus mirabilis
and various
Listeria
species),
A. gilvescens
(also MRSA),
A. giraldii
(also
Aspergillus
spp.,
Proteus
spp.,
Sarcinia lutea
,
Trichoderma viride
),
A. herba-alba
,
A. iwayomogi
,
A. kulbadica
,
A. leucodes
,
A. monosperma
(also TB and staph), and
A. princeps
var.
orientalis
(also
Bacteroides fragilis
,
Bifidobacterium
,
Clostridium perfringens
, and staph),
A. vulgaris
(also
Streptococcus mutans
).

The artemisias in general are considered to be active against intestinal parasites, but again, little actual study has occurred.
A. absinthium
is often considered the most potent against intestinal parasites in historical practice. Leaf extracts are active against
Syphacia
parasites, nematodes that infect the intestinal tracts of mice; the plant is also active against multi-drug-resistant malarial parasites in vivo.

Artemisia maciverae
is active in vivo against
Trypanosoma brucei
, showing complete clearance after 7 days of treatment (10 mg/kg body weight). The same plant is also strongly antiplasmodial at the same dosage, clearing the parasites from mice in 3 days.

Various artemisias have been found active against plant pathogens (which is why artemisias are used to protect crops in some locations) and various fungi.

Use to Treat

Any parasitic infection in the blood and liver or for systemic cancers (artemisinin does have good activity as an antitumor drug). These are the real strengths of the plant if it is being used as a systemic. There is nothing else comparable in potency for these uses. The plant, if properly prepared, is also active against microbial and parasitic infections, especially in the GI tract (see Preparation and Dosage,
page 142
) and on the skin.

Pour 1 quart hot water over 100 grams of dried herb (leaves and flowers), and let stand 12 hours. Strain and drink. Do this daily for 7 days. Repeat after 2 weeks.

Pour 1 quart hot, whole milk over 100 grams fresh or dried herb, cover, and let stand 4 hours.

Note:
This will extract 80 percent of the artemisinin in the herb while water infusions extract much less (about 25 percent in dried herb formulations).

Chop fresh herb finely, and measure its weight in ounces. Place the herb in twice that amount (now using liquid ounces) of pure grain alcohol. (For example, you'd mix 1 ounce of herb with 2 ounces of alcohol; see Fresh Plant Tinctures,
page 339
, for more depth on this). Let stand 2 weeks. Press out the liquid. Take 1 tablespoon twice daily for 7 days. Repeat after 2 weeks.

Take 2 ounces each of the tinctures of sida, cryptolepis, and
Artemisia annua
and combine together. Take 2 tablespoons of the mix each day for 7 days. Repeat in 2 weeks.