Artemisinin-More than a Malarial Drug

Abstract

In Asia, Artemisia annua L. tea and press juice are used to cure malaria and its associated symptoms. Artemisia annua comes under the Anthemideae tribe, which includes the roughly 500 species of Artemisia L., is primarily distributed in Asia, Europe, and North America. Due to the presence of numerous active components or secondary metabolites, artemisia typically exhibits a wide range of bioactivity. The drug’s active component, Artemisinin (ARS), was created as an antimalarial and is used all over the world. It’s interesting to note that the bioactivity is not just used to cure malaria. It is discovered that medications of the ARS type also exhibit anti-cancerous activity in vivo and in vitro. Artemisinin and its analogues have been demonstrated to reduce intracellular free iron levels in cancer cells, which are substantially higher than those in normal cells. Apoptosis, necrosis, necroptosis, tumour-related signal transduction pathways are responses to oxidative stress in cancer cells that are triggered by ARS and its derivatives. Artemisia annua L. extracts contain anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antifungal antimicrobial substances. The purpose of this review is to illustrate how artemisinin retrieves various illnesses and conditions. Another objective of ours is to compile an up-to-date report on the various activities of artemisinin