Artemisia species (Asteraceae), widespread throughout the world, are a group of important medicinal plants. The extracts of two medicinal plants of this genus, Artemisia scoparia Waldst. & Kit. and A. spicigera C. Koch, were evaluated for potential antimalarial, free-radical-scavenging and insecticidal properties, using the heme biocrystallisation and inhibition assay, the DPPH assay and the contact toxicity bioassay using the pest Tribolium castaneum, respectively. The methanol extracts of both species showed strong free-radical-scavenging activity and the RC50 values were 0.0317 and 0.0458 mg/mL, respectively, for A. scoparia and A. spicigera. The dichloromethane extracts of both species displayed a moderate level of potential antimalarial activity providing IC50 at 0.778 and 0.999 mg/mL for A. scoparia and A. spicigera, respectively. Both species of Artemisia showed insecticidal properties. However, A. spicigera was more effective than A. scoparia.

Análise das partes aéreas de Chrozophora tinctoria (Euphorbiaceae) através de HPLC preparativa com coluna de fase reversa produziu cinco glicosídeos de flavonóides, quercetina 3-O-rutinosídeo (1, rutina), acacetina 7-O-rutinosídeo (2), apigenina 7-O-b-D-[(6-p-cumaroil)]-glicopiranosídeo (3), apigenina 7-O-b-D-glicopiranosídeo (4) e apigenina 7-O-b-D-[-(3,4-diidroxibenzoil)]-glicopiranosídeo (chamado crozoforina, 5), sendo o último um novo produto natural. As estruturas dessas substâncias foram inequivocamente elucidadas por análise de espectrofotometria de UV com o uso de reagentes de deslocamento, ESIMS, e técnicas de RMN 1D e 2D. A atividade de captura de radicais livres do extrato metanólico (RC50 = 2,24 x 10-1 mg/mL) bem como das substâncias isoladas (1-5) (RC50 = 4,38 x 10-3, 2,26 x 10-2, 7,69 x 10-4, 8,71 x 10-3 e 3,19 x 10-4 mg/mL, respectivamente) foram analisados pelo método DPPH.

Preparative reversed-phase HPLC analysis of the methanol extract of the aerial parts of Chrozophora tinctoria (Euphorbiaceae) yielded five flavonoid glycosides, quercetin 3-O-rutinoside (1, rutin), acacetin 7-O-rutinoside (2), apigenin 7-O-b-D-[(6-p-coumaroyl)]-glucopyranoside (3), apigenin 7-O- b-D-glucopyranoside (4) and apigenin 7-O-b-D-[6-(3,4-dihydroxybenzoyl)]-glucopyranoside (named, chrozophorin, 5), the last one being a new natural product. The structures of these compounds were elucidated unambiguously by UV spectroscopic analyses using shift reagents, ESIMS, and 1D and 2D NMR spectroscopic techniques. The free-radical scavenging activity of the methanol extract (RC50 = 2.24 x 10-1 mg/mL) as well as the isolated compounds (1-5) (RC50 = 4.38 x 10-3, 2.26 x 10-2, 7.69 x 10-4, 8.71 x 10-3 and 3.19 x 10-4 mg/mL, respectively) were assessed by the DPPH assay.