Artemisinin

Artemisinin is an antimalarial agent with anticancer activity.{21232,37702} It is an iron(II) oxide-reactive endoperoxide that generates reactive oxygen species (ROS) upon cleavage of its endoperoxide bridge.{35319} It reduces the growth of various P. falciparum strains in vitro (IC50s = 3.98-20.36 nM) and reduces parasitemia in mice infected with P. falciparum with a curative dose (CD50) value of 140 mg/kg.{21232,37703} It also reduces P. berghei infection in mice (ED50 = 5.6 mg/kg per day).{37704} Artemisinin (100-400 ?M) induces cell cycle arrest in the G0/G1 phase and apoptosis and inhibits growth of SK-N-AS, BE(2)-C, SK-N-DZ, and SHEP1 neuroblastoma cells in a time- and concentration-dependent manner.{37702} It also suppresses BE(2)-C cell colony formation in a soft agar assay and reduces tumor growth in a BE(2)-C mouse xenograft model. Formulations containing artemisinin have been used in combination therapies for the treatment of malaria.