Artemisia absinthium L. or ‘wormwood’, commonly known as ‘Dawna’, is a
small perennial herb with a dark fragrance due to glandular trichomes present all over
the plant. Medicinal properties of A. absinthium are known in most of Asia, South
America, and Europe. Essential oil, along with other phytoconstituents, like flavonoids,
phenolic acids, tannins, and lignans, imparts medicinal potential to this species. It
revealed antibacterial, antitumor, antimalarial, antioxidant, anthelmintic, antipyretic,
antidepressant, antiulcer, antiprotozoal, hepatoprotective, neurotoxic and neuroprotective action. Due to its wide range of disease curing potential, A. absinthium
germplasm is always under the pressure of overexploitation and loss of habitat. To
cope with the higher industrial demand of this plant, the use of biotechnological
techniques related to micropropagation can provide the best alternative. In vitro
propagation using any explants has been extensively studied for the conservation of its
plant genetic resources. Other micropropagation methods, such as callus culture, cell
suspension, and organogenesis, have been adapted with the aim of secondary
metabolite extraction and artemisinin enhancement. Modern biotechnological tools
such as Agrobacterium-mediated gene transformation are mainly applied to hairy root
and shoot cultures to optimize the biosynthesis of artemisinin. The present review
throws light on various biotechnological studies carried out on A. absinthium,
presenting the respective outcomes.
Keywords: Artemisinin, Biotechnology, In vitro propagation, Medicinal and Aromatic Plants, Micropropagation.
