Mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris L.) as a research object - profile of the originator and his arguments for choosing this medicinal plant

Introduction:

Originator - "Klostermedizin" research group from Würzburg (Bavaria/Germany)

The decision to choose Artemisia vulgaris L. as a research object was taken in 2015 by scientists from the 'Klostermedizin' research group in Würzburg, associated with the Institute for the History of Medicine at the Julius-Maximilian University of Würzburg. The head of the group was the medical historian Mr. Dr. Johannes Gottfried Mayer (†). The above-mentioned research group deals with the historical analysis of the documentation regarding the healing properties of medicinal plants and plant raw materials. The analysed sources include medical books of antiquity, medieval didactic poems and incunabula, renaissance herbaria and other later printed studies on herbal medicine and plant preparations, originated from the German-speaking cultural environment. The historical analysis is presented in chronological order - from antiquity to the present day.

Arguments for choosing Artemisia vulgaris L. as the object of study

the presence of information about the healing properties of A. vulgaris already in ancient written sources
descriptions of the therapeutic indications of A. vulgaris for the puerperal period (up to 6-8 weeks postpartum) and for menstrual disorders, being consistently presented in source texts from antiquity to modern times
the hypothesis of a big therapeutic potential of mugwort, based on the presence of its descriptions in many medieval sources, including those with a narrow selection of herbs (24), suggesting the important role and significance of this plant in the therapy of that time
the extension of the therapeutic indications for mugwort in the Middle Ages to include digestive disorders, which are still recognised in folk medicine today
the abundance of graphic portraits (drawings/sketches/paintings) of mugwort, which are a valuable addition to the text and help identify the plant, particularly in sources dating from before the 19th century (the introduction of photography into print)
widespread occurrence of this plant in Europe
easy access to the raw pharmaceutical material

NOTE: In 2015, the Nobel Prize in Medicine and Physiology was awarded to Chinese researcher Professor Tu Youyou, who proved the high therapeutic efficacy of another Artemisia species, Artemisia annua L. (annual mugwort), against malaria; thanks to this discovery, interest in research on species of the genus Artemisia has increased significantly. This interest found reflection in many scientific publications (review papers and original works) on various Artemisia species. The research group 'Klostermedizin’ joined the research and decided to present the therapeutic portrait of Artemisia vulgaris L. in the history of medicine and pharmacy.

In 2019, a team from the Department of Pharmaceutical Botany at Collegium Medicum, Jagiellonian University in Krakow, led by Professor Halina Ekiert and the Pharmacy Museum of Jagiellonian University under the leadership of its Director Agnieszka Rzepiela PhD joined the scientific collaboration on the therapeutic portrait of Artemisia vulgaris. Together they worked on refreshing and updating the medicinal significance of Artemisia vulgaris L. in modern phytotherapy.

The results of the research from both scientific centres have been published in the form of numerous articles and one book; the content of the „Artemisia vulgaris project” was also the subject of a doctoral dissertation (in Polish Language) (s. pos 89., 90., 91., 92., 93., 94., 141., 142., 143., 261. in bibliography)