PARTE UTILIZADA= Used part: Hojas y tallos. 

ACCIÓN FARMACOLÓGICA= Pharmacological action: Analgésico, antiinflamatorio. 

COMPOSICIÓN QUÍMICA= Chemical composition: The essential oil obtained from Artemisia copa Philippi was analysed by gas chromatography interfaced with a mass spectrometer. Qualitative and quantitative differences were found between the essence extracted by direct puncture at the oil gland of the plant with that isolated by steam distillation. This last process produces partial hydrolysis, rearrangements and elimination on the main constituent of the essential oil: linalyl acetate (87%), the remaining components being mono and sesquiterpenoids. 

ZONA GEOGRÁFICA= Geografical zone: N de Chile y N.O de Argentina. 

DIVERSIDAD GENÉTICA Y MEJORAMIENTO DE PLANTAS MEDICINALES= Medicinal plants and improvement of medicinal herbs

Aqueous, methanol and dichloromethane extracts from Artemisia copa, Baccharis grisebachii, Baccharis incarum, Baccharis latifolia, Mutisia kurtzii and Pluchea sagittalis, plants used in the Traditional Medicine of South America, are studied for activity on the respiratory burst and the inducible heat shock protein of 72 kD (hsp72) synthesis. Activity on the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reactive nitrogen species (RNS), as well as on hsp72 synthesis was measured by flow cytometry in human neutrophils. Cells were stimulated using hydrogen peroxide, phorbol-12-myristate-13-acetate (PMA) or formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine (FMLP) for ROS generation, and sodium nitroprusside (SNP) or PMA in the presence of calmodulin inhibitor W-13 for RNS. The production of hsp72 was induced by heat, PMA, H2O2 and SNP. The best inhibitory activity was shown by the dichloromethane extracts of Baccharis grisebachii and Pluchea sagittalis that were active in all the assays. The aqueous extract of Pluchea sagittalis was also active in most assays. The aqueous extract from Mutisia kurtzii caused a clear increase of the hsp72 production and showed prooxidant activity. 

ÚLTIMOS AVANCES EN LA QUÍMICA Y ACTIVIDADES BACTERIOLÓGICAS EN LAS PLANTAS MEDICINALES= Medicinal plants, last advances on chemistry and bacteria activities on the medicinal herbs

1) The aqueous extract from aerial parts of Artemisia copa Phil. (Compositae), was evaluated for antinociceptive activity using writhing, formalin, and hot-plate tests in mice.  A dose-related antinociceptive response was obtained in the writhing test at doses of 500 and 1000 mg/kg p.o. (percentage of inhibition 23.3 and 52.70, respectively).  The extract also inhibited the second phase of formalin test (38.81%) and this effect was not antagonized by pretreatment with naloxone 5mg/kg i.p.  Furthermore, no significant effect was obtained in the hot-plate test.  Dichloromethane and ethanolic extracts, were analyzed for antiinflammatory activity with the carrageenan-induced paw edema in rats and the ear edema induced by 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13 acetate (TPA) and arachidonic acid (AA) in mice.  Both extracts showed antiinflammatory activity in the TPA (88 and 54%), and the ethanolic extract showed a 37% inhibition in AA test.  No effects were seen at doses of 300 mg/kg p.o. and 100 mg/kg i.p. in the carrageenan test.  The results obtained indicate that A. copa has analgesic and topical antiinflammatory activities that supports the folk medicinal use of the plant.

Summary
Artemisia copa (Asteraceae) is an endemic plant from Norwestern Argentina and Northern Chile. Commonly known by the name of copa copa, its medicinal use is mainly focused on the treatment of hypertension, head and stomach ache, rheumatism, fever and respiratory diseases. To date, only a few in vivo pharmacological studies have been reported for this plant, suggesting that the extracts possess analgesic, antiinflammatory and sedative properties, thus partially validating its popular uses. On the other hand, the antimycotic activity observed in vitro could be of interest in the treatment of candidiasis.

1) ALONSO, Jorge ; DESMARCHELIER, Cristian. Plantas medicinales autóctonas de la Argentina : bases científicas para su aplicación en atención primaria de la salud . Buenos Aires : L.O.L.A, 2005, p.211-213 .

2) CATALAN, C.A.N.; TORRES, O.A.; IGLESIAS, D.I.A. de. Constituents of the essential oil from Artemisia copa Philippi (Compositae). Essenze Derivati Agrumari (Italy). 1982, vol.51, nº4, p.331-335.
 
3) PEREZ-GARCIA, et al. Activity of plant extracts on the respiratory burst and the stress protein synthesis. Phytomedicine : international journal of phytotherapy and phytopharmacology. 2001, vol.18, nº1, p.31-8.
 
4) MINO, J., et al. Antinociceptive and antiinflammatory activities of Artemisia copa extracts. Pharmacological research : the official journal of the Italian Pharmacological Society. 2004, vol.50, nº1, p.59-63.

5) Plantas medicinales autóctonas de la Argentina. Bases científicas para su aplicación en atención primaria de la salud / Jorge Alonso y Cristian Jorge Desmarchelier. - 1a ed. - Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires: Corpus Libros Médicos y Científicos, 2015.