ABSTRACT
Artesunate is a water-soluble semisynthetic derivative of artemisinin, a phytoconstituent of the Chinese plant Qinghao (Artemisia annua L.), with in vitro antimalarial activity 10–20 times that of its parent compound. It is a succinyl acid ester of artemisinin, which has a sesquiterpene lactone structure with an internal peroxide dioxygen bridge (Figure 170.1) that enables bioactivity through endoperoxide accumulation in the parasite against all erythrocytic stages. It has a molecular weight of 384.42082 g/mol. Chemical structure of artesunate. https://s3-euw1-ap-pe-df-pch-content-public-p.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/9781315152110/08d8042d-9481-4a8d-8c27-9bd589f6de6b/content/fig170_1.tif" xmlns:xlink="https://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"/>
