What is it about?
This article reviews how Artemisia absinthium (wormwood) and absinthe have been used to prevent and treat infections throughout history. From ancient medical texts to 19th-century military and colonial medicine, wormwood-based preparations were commonly prescribed, especially for parasitic and gastrointestinal infections. The review also summarizes modern experimental evidence showing antibacterial, antifungal, antiparasitic, and antibiofilm activity of A. absinthium extracts, and discusses future applications using advanced pharmaceutical technologies.
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Why is it important?
Understanding how historical remedies anticipated modern antimicrobial findings is particularly relevant in the era of antimicrobial resistance. This work highlights how traditional plant-based therapies may inspire new strategies for infection management, provided that their efficacy and safety are evaluated with modern scientific tools.
Perspectives
This review shows how medical history and modern infectious disease research can inform each other. Revisiting traditional remedies like wormwood may help identify innovative and complementary approaches to future antimicrobial development.
Professor Stefano Di Bella
Universita degli Studi di Trieste
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: The Historical Role of Wormwood and Absinthe in Infectious Diseases: A Narrative Review and Future Perspectives, Sci, December 2025, MDPI AG,
DOI: 10.3390/sci7040186.
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