Daucus carota L., a member of the Apiaceae family, comprises 13 subspecies, with one being cultivated (D. carota L. ssp. sativus (Hoffm.) Arcang.) and the remaining being wild. Traditionally, the wild carrot has been recognized for its antilithic, diuretic, carminative, antiseptic, and anti-inflammatory properties and has been employed in the treatment of urinary calculus, cystitis, gout, prostatitis, and cancer. While extensive literature is available on the phytochemical, pharmacological, and therapeutic evaluations of the cultivated carrot, limited information has been published on the wild carrot. A thorough search was conducted on the phytochemical composition, folk-medicine uses, and pharmacological properties of wild carrot subspecies (Daucus carota L. ssp. carota). Various electronic databases were consulted, and the literature spanning from 1927 to early 2023 was reviewed. Thirteen wild Daucus carota subspecies were analyzed, revealing over 310 compounds, including terpenoids, phenylpropenoids, flavonoids, and phenolic acids, with 40 constituting more than 3% of the composition. This review also highlights the antioxidant, anticancer, antipyretic, analgesic, antibacterial, antifungal, hypolipidemic, and hepato- and gastroprotective properties of wild carrot subspecies. Existing in vitro and in vivo studies support their traditional uses in treating infections, inflammation, and cancer. However, further research on other subspecies is required to confirm additional applications. Well-designed preclinical and clinical trials are still necessary to establish the safety and efficacy of wild Daucus carota for human use.

The therapeutic potential of artemisinin (ART) and its derivatives (ARTs) is not limited to malaria but has been recently expanded to other infections with protozoans, trematodes, or viruses as well as to cancer. Due to their limited poor water and oil solubility, rapid degradation by the liver, and short half-life, they have a low bioavailability after oral administration. Consequently, there is a pressing necessity to formulate new ART preparations to raise its bioavailability and efficacy. Nanosized drug delivery systems represent important tools in modern medicine with wide clinical applications, because of their potential modulation of pharmacokinetic and biodistribution. This review focuses on polymer-based systems, lipid-based systems, and inorganic nanoparticles loaded with ARTs. The overall goal of this field of research is to enhance their solubility and stability to improve bioavailability at much lower doses and to increase long-term safety. In addition, the opportunity to reach highly specific site-targeted delivery by these nanocarriers confers a high medicinal value. Remarkably, most of the reported nanoparticulate drug delivery systems are biologically inactive or marginally immunogenic, generating no antigenic or pyrogenic reactions but only partial intrinsic toxicity. As clinical studies in human patients are available so far, there is a pressing need to translate preclinical results on ART-based nanosystems into clinical settings.