China
联系人 Mr. Sam
No.419 Nanshan Road, Xiamen, Fujian
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Artemether, isolated from Chinese-Vietnamese
plant Artemisia annua L., locally called "qing hao", is used to
treat fever and malaria. It is a white crystalline powder with a
bitter taste; practically insoluble in water, soluble in
chloroform, acetone, and alcohols. Its chemical designation is
(+)-(*-alpha,5a-beta,*-beta,8a-beta, *-alpha,**-beta,*2aR)-
decahydro- **-methoxy- 3,6,*-trimethyl- 3,**-epoxy- *2H-pyrano
(4,*-j)*1,*-benzodioxepin. Malaria is one of leading re-emerging
infectious disease due to murative malarial parasite developed
resistance to chloroquine. Sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine is an
alternative can be used in the treatment of the disease resistant
to chloroquine, but resistance to sulfadoxine- pyrimethamine has
been reported also in some areas. Artemisinin is an alternative
used in areas where the disease has become highly resistant to
sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine. Dihydroartemisinin, its methyl ether
(artemether), its ethyl ether (arteether) and its hemisuccinate
ester (artesunate) are known as more effective than its parent
material - artemisinin. But their activity decreases after one or
two hours. For simultaneous administration to counter the drawback,
combination therapy of artemisinin along with lumefantrine,
mefloquine, amodiaquine, sulfadoxine, and pyrimethamine is useful.
The term of artemotil refers to the pure beta-epimer of arteether.
Artemisinin is a peroxide-bridged sesquiterpene lactone compound
which has no N atom, unlike quinine class anti-malarial drugs. The
characteristic peroxide lactone structure is indispensable for
anti-malarial activity. This structure is also under the research
for the treatment of cancer.
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