Artemisinin, with the CAS number 63968-64-9, is a naturally occurring compound derived from the plant Artemisia annua, also known as sweet wormwood or annual wormwood. It is a sesquiterpene lactone with a unique chemical structure and possesses antimalarial properties.
Artemisinin has been used for centuries in traditional Chinese medicine as a treatment for fever and malaria. However, its full potential as an effective antimalarial drug was realized in the 1970s by Chinese scientist Tu Youyou, who was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 2015 for her work on artemisinin.
This pharmaceutical substance works by interacting with iron and forming reactive oxygen species inside the malaria parasite, leading to its destruction. As a result, artemisinin and its derivatives are considered first-line treatments for uncomplicated malaria, particularly for chloroquine-resistant strains.
Artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACTs) are currently recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) as
