molecules Review Artemisia abrotanum L. (Southern Wormwood)—History, Current Knowledge on the Chemistry, Biological Activity, Traditional Use and Possible New Pharmaceutical and Cosmetological Applications Halina Ekiert 1,*, Ewa Knut 1, Joanna Swi´ ˛atkowska 1, Paweł Klin 2, Agnieszka Rzepiela 3, Michał Tomczyk 4 and Agnieszka Szopa 1,* 1 Chair and Department of Pharmaceutical Botany, Medical College, Jagiellonian University, ul. Medyczna 9, 30-688 Kraków, Poland;
[email protected] (E.K.);
[email protected] (J.S.)´ 2 Family Medicine Clinic, Medizinisches Versorgungszentrum (MVZ) Burgbernheim GmbH, Gruene Baumgasse 2, 91593 Burgbernheim, Germany;
[email protected] 3 Museum of Pharmacy, Medical College, Jagiellonian University, ul. Floria´nska25, 31-019 Kraków, Poland;
[email protected] 4 Department of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Medical University of Białystok, ul. Mickiewicza 2a, 15-230 Białystok, Poland;
[email protected] * Correspondence:
[email protected] (H.E.);
[email protected] (A.S.); Tel.: +48-12-620-54-36 (H.E.); +48-12-620-54-30 (A.S.); Fax: +48-620-54-40 (H.E. & A.S.) Abstract: Artemisia abrotanum Citation: Ekiert, H.; Knut, E.; L. (southern wormwood) is a plant species with an important position Swi´ ˛atkowska,J.; Klin, P.; Rzepiela, A.; in the history of European and Asian medicine. It is a species famous as a medicinal plant in Central Tomczyk, M.; Szopa, A. Artemisia Asia, Asia Minor, and in South-East and Central Europe. The raw materials obtained from this abrotanum L. (Southern species are Abrotani herba and Abrotani folium. In the traditional European medicine, they have been Wormwood)—History, Current used successfully most of all in liver and biliary tract diseases, in parasitic diseases in children and as Knowledge on the Chemistry, antipyretic medication.