Malaria is an infectious tropical disease, causing various problems in Sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia. It is caused by an infection with the parasite Plasmodium sp. Quinine, an alkaloid extracted from the cinchona bark, was initially used to treat malaria symptoms, after which it was replaced by the synthetic drug chloroquine. Due to its prolonged overuse, plasmodium developed resistance to existing antimalarials and the need for a new and effective antimalarial drug has emerged. As a part of the Chinese national program, a group of Chinese researchers discovered artemisinin, a naturally occurring organic compound in the traditional herb Artemisia annua. Structurally, it is a sesquiterpenoid lactone, characterized by an endoperoxide bridge. The exact mechanism of its action is still unknown, but it has been confirmed that for its antimalarial activity requires activation, followed by the release of toxic radicals which damages the plasmodium. Artemisinin is obtained from transgenic plants or produced in microbial heterologous systems with bacteria Escherichia coli and yeast Streptomyces cerevisiae. Artemisinin and its derivatives are mainly used as the main component of the artemisinin combination therapy for malaria treatment. In addition to that, several studies reported antitumor, antibacterial, antiviral, and antifungal effects of artemisinin and its derivatives.
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