New Use for Ancient Medicine

Posted: August 1, 2025

African wormwood may help fight tuberculosis

African wormwood. Photo: Mathias Katz/Unsplash

A compound in African wormwood, a plant used in traditional medicine, could treat tuberculosis, according to a study co-led by College of Agricultural Sciences researchers.

The team found that an O-methylflavone compound can kill the mycobacterium that causes tuberculosis in both its active and hypoxic states.

Joshua Kellogg, assistant professor of veterinary and biomedical sciences, said bacteria in this state make infections more difficult to clear. While the findings are preliminary, the work is a promising first step in finding new therapies against tuberculosis, according to the researchers.

—Katie Bohn

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