Profiling of sesquiterpenoid fractions from Artemisia annua L. and testing their in vitro anti-SARS-CoV-2 activity

The current state of research on the anti‑SARS‑CoV‑2 potential of artemisinin‑related compounds has identified arteannuin B as a potent inhibitor of the nCoV‑2019BetaCov/Wuhan/WiV04/2019 and BetaCov/Italy/CDG1/2020 strains of the virus. The aim of this work was to fractionate the targeted sesquiter...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Irma Gušić, Ilma Terzić, Toni Eterović, Adis Softić, Šejla Goletić, Teufik Goletić, Dejan Nikolić, Emina Korić, Katarina Bijelić, Haris Nikšić, Senka Vidović, Kemal Durić
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Association of Basic Medical Sciences of Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina 2025-04-01
Series:Biomolecules & Biomedicine
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.bjbms.org/ojs/index.php/bjbms/article/view/12052
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1849711512833228800
author Irma Gušić
Ilma Terzić
Toni Eterović
Adis Softić
Šejla Goletić
Teufik Goletić
Dejan Nikolić
Emina Korić
Katarina Bijelić
Haris Nikšić
Senka Vidović
Kemal Durić
author_facet Irma Gušić
Ilma Terzić
Toni Eterović
Adis Softić
Šejla Goletić
Teufik Goletić
Dejan Nikolić
Emina Korić
Katarina Bijelić
Haris Nikšić
Senka Vidović
Kemal Durić
author_sort Irma Gušić
collection DOAJ
description The current state of research on the anti‑SARS‑CoV‑2 potential of artemisinin‑related compounds has identified arteannuin B as a potent inhibitor of the nCoV‑2019BetaCov/Wuhan/WiV04/2019 and BetaCov/Italy/CDG1/2020 strains of the virus. The aim of this work was to fractionate the targeted sesquiterpenoid compounds, arteannuin B and artemisinin, from the complex matrix of the crude ethanolic leaf extract of Artemisia annua L. using high‑speed countercurrent chromatography (HSCCC) and to test the simplified or purified fractions against the genomically characterized Alpha SARS‑CoV‑2 variant in vitro. This is the first detailed in vitro anti‑SARS‑CoV‑2 study using an analytically characterized supercritical fluid extract of A. annua L. The preparative HSCCC method enabled the isolation of purified arteannuin B in a single chromatographic step, which was confirmed by LC‑ESI‑QTOF‑MS/MS. The MS data confirmed the selectivity of the HSCCC method for the targeted fractionation of artemisinin from the complex matrix, as it was successfully separated from the EtOH crude extract without co‑elution with arteannuin B. Antiviral activity determined by quantitative real‑time PCR (qRT‑PCR) yielded half‑maximal effective concentrations (EC₅₀) of 93.7 µg/mL (SC‑CO₂ extract), 173.5 µg/mL (EtOH extract), 187.3 µg/mL (artemisinin knockout fraction), 38.1 µg/mL (arteannuin B fraction), and >100 µg/mL (artemisinin). The arteannuin B fraction was highly active at 50 µg/mL (p < 0.0001) and 100 µg/mL (p < 0.0001), and inhibited the amplification of the SARS‑CoV‑2 N and RdRp genes by 84% and 100%, respectively. An important contribution of this study is the demonstration of the antiviral activity of arteannuin B against the Alpha variant of SARS‑CoV‑2, which is known to have increased infectivity and transmissibility.
format Article
id doaj-art-a6962949f559416892bef43ec2e940bf
institution DOAJ
issn 2831-0896
2831-090X
language English
publishDate 2025-04-01
publisher Association of Basic Medical Sciences of Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina
record_format Article
series Biomolecules & Biomedicine
spelling doaj-art-a6962949f559416892bef43ec2e940bf2025-08-20T03:14:36ZengAssociation of Basic Medical Sciences of Federation of Bosnia and HerzegovinaBiomolecules & Biomedicine2831-08962831-090X2025-04-0110.17305/bb.2025.12052Profiling of sesquiterpenoid fractions from Artemisia annua L. and testing their in vitro anti-SARS-CoV-2 activityIrma Gušić0Ilma Terzić1Toni Eterović2Adis Softić3Šejla Goletić4Teufik Goletić5Dejan Nikolić6Emina Korić7Katarina Bijelić8Haris Nikšić9Senka Vidović10Kemal Durić11Department of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Sarajevo, Sarajevo, Bosnia and HerzegovinaVeterinary Faculty, University of Sarajevo, Sarajevo, Bosnia and HerzegovinaVeterinary Faculty, University of Sarajevo, Sarajevo, Bosnia and HerzegovinaVeterinary Faculty, University of Sarajevo, Sarajevo, Bosnia and HerzegovinaVeterinary Faculty, University of Sarajevo, Sarajevo, Bosnia and HerzegovinaVeterinary Faculty, University of Sarajevo, Sarajevo, Bosnia and HerzegovinaDepartment of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Retzky College of Pharmacy, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, United StatesDepartment of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Sarajevo, Sarajevo, Bosnia and HerzegovinaDepartment of Pharmacy, Faculty of Medicine, University of Novi Sad, Novi Sad, Serbia; Center for Medical and Pharmaceutical Investigations and Quality Control, Faculty of Medicine, University of Novi Sad, Novi Sad, SerbiaDepartment of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Sarajevo, Sarajevo, Bosnia and HerzegovinaDepartment of Pharmaceutical Engineering, Faculty of Technology Novi Sad, University of Novi Sad, Novi Sad, SerbiaDepartment of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Sarajevo, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina The current state of research on the anti‑SARS‑CoV‑2 potential of artemisinin‑related compounds has identified arteannuin B as a potent inhibitor of the nCoV‑2019BetaCov/Wuhan/WiV04/2019 and BetaCov/Italy/CDG1/2020 strains of the virus. The aim of this work was to fractionate the targeted sesquiterpenoid compounds, arteannuin B and artemisinin, from the complex matrix of the crude ethanolic leaf extract of Artemisia annua L. using high‑speed countercurrent chromatography (HSCCC) and to test the simplified or purified fractions against the genomically characterized Alpha SARS‑CoV‑2 variant in vitro. This is the first detailed in vitro anti‑SARS‑CoV‑2 study using an analytically characterized supercritical fluid extract of A. annua L. The preparative HSCCC method enabled the isolation of purified arteannuin B in a single chromatographic step, which was confirmed by LC‑ESI‑QTOF‑MS/MS. The MS data confirmed the selectivity of the HSCCC method for the targeted fractionation of artemisinin from the complex matrix, as it was successfully separated from the EtOH crude extract without co‑elution with arteannuin B. Antiviral activity determined by quantitative real‑time PCR (qRT‑PCR) yielded half‑maximal effective concentrations (EC₅₀) of 93.7 µg/mL (SC‑CO₂ extract), 173.5 µg/mL (EtOH extract), 187.3 µg/mL (artemisinin knockout fraction), 38.1 µg/mL (arteannuin B fraction), and >100 µg/mL (artemisinin). The arteannuin B fraction was highly active at 50 µg/mL (p < 0.0001) and 100 µg/mL (p < 0.0001), and inhibited the amplification of the SARS‑CoV‑2 N and RdRp genes by 84% and 100%, respectively. An important contribution of this study is the demonstration of the antiviral activity of arteannuin B against the Alpha variant of SARS‑CoV‑2, which is known to have increased infectivity and transmissibility. https://www.bjbms.org/ojs/index.php/bjbms/article/view/12052Alpha variant SARS-CoV-2antiviral activityarteannuin BArtemisia annua Lcountercurrent chromatographysupercritical fluid extraction
spellingShingle Irma Gušić
Ilma Terzić
Toni Eterović
Adis Softić
Šejla Goletić
Teufik Goletić
Dejan Nikolić
Emina Korić
Katarina Bijelić
Haris Nikšić
Senka Vidović
Kemal Durić
Profiling of sesquiterpenoid fractions from Artemisia annua L. and testing their in vitro anti-SARS-CoV-2 activity
Biomolecules & Biomedicine
Alpha variant SARS-CoV-2
antiviral activity
arteannuin B
Artemisia annua L
countercurrent chromatography
supercritical fluid extraction
title Profiling of sesquiterpenoid fractions from Artemisia annua L. and testing their in vitro anti-SARS-CoV-2 activity
title_full Profiling of sesquiterpenoid fractions from Artemisia annua L. and testing their in vitro anti-SARS-CoV-2 activity
title_fullStr Profiling of sesquiterpenoid fractions from Artemisia annua L. and testing their in vitro anti-SARS-CoV-2 activity
title_full_unstemmed Profiling of sesquiterpenoid fractions from Artemisia annua L. and testing their in vitro anti-SARS-CoV-2 activity
title_short Profiling of sesquiterpenoid fractions from Artemisia annua L. and testing their in vitro anti-SARS-CoV-2 activity
title_sort profiling of sesquiterpenoid fractions from artemisia annua l and testing their in vitro anti sars cov 2 activity
topic Alpha variant SARS-CoV-2
antiviral activity
arteannuin B
Artemisia annua L
countercurrent chromatography
supercritical fluid extraction
url https://www.bjbms.org/ojs/index.php/bjbms/article/view/12052
work_keys_str_mv AT irmagusic profilingofsesquiterpenoidfractionsfromartemisiaannualandtestingtheirinvitroantisarscov2activity
AT ilmaterzic profilingofsesquiterpenoidfractionsfromartemisiaannualandtestingtheirinvitroantisarscov2activity
AT tonieterovic profilingofsesquiterpenoidfractionsfromartemisiaannualandtestingtheirinvitroantisarscov2activity
AT adissoftic profilingofsesquiterpenoidfractionsfromartemisiaannualandtestingtheirinvitroantisarscov2activity
AT sejlagoletic profilingofsesquiterpenoidfractionsfromartemisiaannualandtestingtheirinvitroantisarscov2activity
AT teufikgoletic profilingofsesquiterpenoidfractionsfromartemisiaannualandtestingtheirinvitroantisarscov2activity
AT dejannikolic profilingofsesquiterpenoidfractionsfromartemisiaannualandtestingtheirinvitroantisarscov2activity
AT eminakoric profilingofsesquiterpenoidfractionsfromartemisiaannualandtestingtheirinvitroantisarscov2activity
AT katarinabijelic profilingofsesquiterpenoidfractionsfromartemisiaannualandtestingtheirinvitroantisarscov2activity
AT harisniksic profilingofsesquiterpenoidfractionsfromartemisiaannualandtestingtheirinvitroantisarscov2activity
AT senkavidovic profilingofsesquiterpenoidfractionsfromartemisiaannualandtestingtheirinvitroantisarscov2activity
AT kemalduric profilingofsesquiterpenoidfractionsfromartemisiaannualandtestingtheirinvitroantisarscov2activity