Medicinal Benefits and Bioactive Compounds of Artemisia Species: A Critical Comparative Literature Review

Abstract

This study provides a critical comparative analysis of recent scientific literature on Artemisia species, with particular emphasis on their medicinal compounds and biologically active constituents. The study aimed to examine the phytochemical diversity of Artemisia and evaluate its reported pharmacological activities based on peer-reviewed studies published between 2020 and 2025. The analysis revealed that Artemisia species are rich in secondary metabolites, including essential oils, terpenoids, flavonoids, phenolic acids, coumarins, sesquiterpene lactones, and artemisinin-related compounds. These constituents are strongly associated with antioxidant, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, antiparasitic, enzyme-inhibitory, cytotoxic, and potential antidiabetic activities. The reviewed studies generally support the medicinal importance of Artemisia; however, the degree of biological activity varies considerably according to plant species, geographical origin, plant organ, harvesting stage, extraction method, solvent type, and experimental design. The findings also indicate that most available evidence remains based on in vitro and computational approaches, while in vivo, toxicological, pharmacokinetic, and clinical studies remain limited. Therefore, although Artemisia represents a promising natural source of bioactive compounds, its therapeutic application requires further standardization, compound isolation, mechanism-based validation, toxicity assessment, and clinically relevant investigation. Overall, the study concludes that Artemisia should be regarded as a chemically diverse medicinal genus with significant pharmacological potential, but its use in pharmaceutical or therapeutic applications must be supported by rigorous scientific validation.