Artemisinin
Highly Effective for Malaria: Artemisinin is the most potent drug against malaria, with over 90% effectiveness globally, particularly in artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT).
Rapid Action: It acts quickly to eradicate the erythrocytic phase of Plasmodium, offering prompt relief from malaria symptoms.
Minimal Toxicity: Known for its low toxicity, it provides a safe treatment option for malaria and other parasitic infections.
Broad Spectrum of Use: Artemisinin is effective not only against malaria but also against diseases like chicken coccidiosis, toxoplasmosis, and chloroquine-resistant malaria.
Artemisinin represents the most potent therapeutic agent for malaria treatment. This sesquiterpene lactone bearing an endoperoxide moiety is isolated from the traditional Chinese medicinal plant Artemisia annua. The compound demonstrates characteristics of high therapeutic efficacy, rapid pharmacological action, heat-clearing properties, antipyretic effects, antiprotozoal activity, and low toxicity profile.
Parameters
Melting point | 156-157 °C (lit.) |
alpha | 76 º (c=0.5,MeOH) |
Boiling point | 344.94°C (rough estimate) |
density | 1.0984 (rough estimate) |
refractive index | 75 ° (C=0.5, MeOH) |
storage temp. | -20°C |
solubility | Soluble to 100mM in DMSO and to 75mM in ethanol |
form | White to off-white crystalline solid. |
color | Needles |
optical activity | [α]20/D +76°, c = 0.5 in methanol |
Merck | 14817 |
Stability: | Stable. Combustible. Incompatible with strong oxidizing agents, acids, acid chlorides, acid anhydrides. May absorb, and react with, carbon dioxide from the air. |
InChI | InChI=1S/C15H22O5/c1-8-4-5-11-9(2)12(16)17-13-15(11)10(8)6-7-14(3,18-13)19-20-15/h8-11,13H,4-7H2,1-3H3/t8-,9-,10+,11+,13-,14-,15-/m1/s1 |
InChIKey | BLUAFEHZUWYNDE-NNWCWBAJSA-N |
SMILES | O1[C@]23[C@@]4([H])O[C@@](C)(CC[C@@]2([H])[C@H](C)CC[C@@]3([H])[C@@H](C)C(=O)O4)O1 |
LogP | 2.9 |
Safety Information | |
Safety Statements | 22-24/25 |
WGK Germany | 2 |
RTECS | KD4170000 |
HS Code | 29322985 |
Toxicity | LD50 in mice (mg/kg): 5105 orally; 2800 i.m.; 1558 i.p. (Koch); LD50 in mice, rats (mg/kg): 4228, 5576 orally; 3840, 2571 i.m. (China Cooperative Research Group on Qinghaosu) |
Contemporary clinical practice demonstrates that artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT) achieves over 90% global efficacy in malaria management. This treatment modality has been universally implemented for malaria control worldwide. The compound exerts potent and rapid eradication of Plasmodium parasites during their erythrocytic developmental stage, enabling prompt clinical symptom resolution. Furthermore, it shows significant therapeutic outcomes against avian coccidiosis, porcine eperythrozoonosis, toxoplasmosis, fever due to yin deficiency, jaundice from damp-heat etiology, vivax malaria, severe malaria, cerebral malaria, and chloroquine-resistant malaria strains.
