17 Big Sagebrush

Names

Common name – Big Sagebrush

Scientific name – Artemisia tridentata

Other names – káwkwu

General information 

Big Sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata) is a large, woody perennial shrub in the sunflower family (Asteraceae) and is one of the most widespread and ecologically important plants in the American West. This hardy shrub can grow 3-15 feet tall with a distinctive silvery-gray appearance due to fine hairs covering its small, three-lobed (tridentate) leaves. The plant produces small, inconspicuous yellow flowers in late summer and has a characteristic pungent, aromatic scent from volatile oils in its leaves and stems.

Traditional Indigenous Uses

Its fragrant leaves were used to treat many ailments of the body. When a person was troubled by coughs, congestion, or fever, the leaves were boiled for tea or inhaled as steam to clear the lungs and ease the breath. The same vapors were used to relieve headaches and general pain, while teas made from the leaves reduced inflammation from rheumatism and soothed women’s bodies after childbirth

For wounds and injuries, the people would crush the leaves into a paste or salve and apply it directly to cuts or infections, knowing Sagebrush to be a strong antiseptic. It was also used as a wash for cleansing wounds or as a tea to help with stomach and digestive troubles, or even to stop internal bleeding. The bark and stems were warmed and applied to aching joints to ease the pain of arthritis. Some placed the dried leaves in their moccasins as a natural deodorant and for comfort during travel.

Beyond its medicinal strength, Big Sagebrush was deeply tied to ceremony. The whole plant was burned as smudge, its smoke purifying the body and spirit and driving away negative energy. The same smoke kept insects at bay and refreshed the air during healing rituals.

Biochemical Compounds and Their Medicinal Properties

1. Essential Oil Monoterpenes (Primary Bioactive Compounds)

Three Most Important Compounds:

(i) α-Thujone (C₁₀H₁₆O) – 0.1-76.1%

(ii) Camphor (C₁₀H₁₆O) – 20-45%

(iii) 1,8-Cineole/Eucalyptol (C₁₀H₁₈O) – 12-52.1%

Medicinal Properties:

• Respiratory support: Expectorant and bronchodilator effects
• Anti-inflammatory: Inhibits inflammatory mediators
• Antimicrobial: Broad-spectrum antibacterial and antifungal activity
• Analgesic: Pain-relieving properties through multiple pathways

2. Oxygenated Monoterpenes (Supporting Compounds)

Three Most Important Compounds:

(i) β-Thujone (C₁₀H₁₆O) – 13.6-14.5%

(ii) Borneol (C₁₀H₁₈O) – 5%

(iii) Camphene (C₁₀H₁₆) – 3-21.5%

3. Sesquiterpenes (Minor but Important)

Most Important Compound:

Caryophyllene (C₁₅H₂₄) – 1-2.5%

Proposed Biochemical Mechanisms for Traditional Uses

Respiratory Support (Leaf Inhalations/Teas)

1. α-Thujone and 1,8-Cineole act as:

1. • Expectorants: Increase mucus secretion and clearance
   • Bronchodilators: Relax airway smooth muscle
   • Decongestants: Reduce nasal and bronchial inflammation

2. Camphor provides:

1. • Antitussive (cough suppressant) effects
   • Local anesthetic properties for throat irritation
   • Antimicrobial action against respiratory pathogens

Pain Relief and Anti-inflammatory Effects (Vapors/Topical)

1. Thujones (α and β) inhibit:

1. • Cyclooxygenase (COX) enzymes → ↓ Prostaglandin synthesis
   • Lipoxygenase pathways → ↓ Leukotriene production
   • Nociceptor activation → Direct analgesic effects

2. Camphor acts through:

1. • TRPM8 cold receptor activation → Counter-irritant effect
   • Sodium channel blockade → Local anesthetic action
   • Anti-inflammatory cytokine suppression

Antimicrobial and Wound Healing (Topical Applications)

1. Essential oil components provide:

1. • Cell membrane disruption in pathogens
   • Protein denaturation in microorganisms
   • Oxidative stress induction in bacteria/fungi

2. 1,8-Cineole promotes:

1. • Tissue regeneration through increased blood flow
   • Collagen synthesis enhancement
   • Anti-inflammatory effects in wound sites

Chemical Reactions and Molecular Interactions

Anti-inflammatory Mechanism (Thujones)

α-Thujone → COX-2 enzyme inhibition → ↓ PGE₂, PGI₂ → Reduced inflammation and pain signaling

β-Thujone → NF-κB pathway inhibition → ↓ TNF-α, IL-1β → Decreased inflammatory mediator production

Respiratory Relief Mechanism (Cineole)

1,8-Cineole → β2-adrenergic receptor activation → ↑ cAMP → Bronchial smooth muscle relaxation → Improved airflow

1,8-Cineole → Mucin gene expression ↑ → Enhanced mucus clearance

Antimicrobial Action (Multiple Components)

Essential oils → Bacterial membrane lipid disruption → Increased membrane permeability → ATP leakage → Cell death

Camphor + Thujones → Protein sulfhydryl group binding → Enzyme inactivation → Metabolic disruption → Microbial death

Analgesic Pathway (Camphor)

Camphor → TRPM8 cold receptor activation → Gate control mechanism → Pain signal inhibition at spinal cord level

Camphor → Voltage-gated Na+ channel blockade → ↓ Action potential → Local anesthetic effect → Reduced pain sensation

GABA System Modulation (Thujones) – Neurological and Psychoactive Effects

α-Thujone → GABA-A receptor antagonism → CNS stimulation

β-Thujone → GABA-A receptor antagonism → Altered consciousness

Note: Traditional ceremonial use may involve these neurological effects

Safety Considerations and Traditional Wisdom

Traditional Indigenous use emphasizes proper preparation methods and dosages, recognizing that while these compounds are therapeutically beneficial, concentrated forms require careful handling. The traditional practice of using whole plant preparations rather than isolated compounds provides natural buffering effects and reduces potential toxicity.

References

1) Elders and Community members of the Cayoose Creek Band of Sekw’el’was

2) Shultz, L. M. (2006). Artemisia tridentata. In Flora of North America North of Mexico (Vol. 19). Flora of North America Association. https://floranorthamerica.org/Artemisia_tridentata

3) Moerman, D. E. (n.d.). Native American Ethnobotany database: Artemisia tridentata (big sagebrush). Botanical Research Institute of Texas. https://naeb.brit.org/uses/5699/

4) Zheljazkov, V. D., Zhao, S., Li, Y., Cantrell, C. L., Khan, S., Astatkie, T., & Pokharel, R. (2022). Essential oil yield, composition, and bioactivity of sagebrush species in the Bighorn Mountains, USA. Plants, 11(9), 1228. https://doi.org/10.3390/plants11091228

5) Swor, K., Satyal, P., Timsina, S., & Setzer, W. N. (2022). Chemical composition and terpenoid enantiomeric distribution of the essential oil of Artemisia tridentata tridentata from southwestern Idaho. Natural Product Communications, 17, Article 1934578X221117417. https://doi.org/10.1177/1934578X221117417

6) Nagy, J. G., & Tengerdy, R. P. (1967). Antibacterial action of the volatile oils of Artemisia tridentata and Artemisia nova on aerobic bacteria. Applied Microbiology, 15(4), 819–821. https://doi.org/10.1128/am.15.4.819-821.1967

7) Höld, K. M., Sirisoma, N. S., Ikeda, T., Narahashi, T., & Casida, J. E. (2000). α-Thujone (the active component of absinthe): GABAA_AA​ receptor modulation and metabolic detoxification. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 97(8), 3826–3831. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.070042397

8) Juergens, U. R. (2014). Anti-inflammatory properties of the monoterpene 1,8-cineole: Current evidence for co-medication in inflammatory airway diseases. Drug Research, 64(12), 638–646. https://doi.org/10.1055/s-0034-1372609