Abstract
Artemisinin is a natural bioactive sesquiterpene lactone containing an unusual endoperoxide 1, 2, 4-trioxane ring. It is derived from the herbal medicinal plant Artemisia annua and is best known for its use in treatment of malaria. However, recent studies also indicate the potential for artemisinin and related compounds, commonly referred to as artemisinins, in combating viral infections, inflammation and certain cancers. Moreover, the different potential modes of action of artemisinins make these compounds also potentially relevant to the challenges the world faces in the COVID-19 pandemic. Initial studies indicate positive effects of artemisinin or Artemisia spp. extracts to combat SARS-CoV-2 infection or COVID-19 related symptoms and WHO-supervised clinical studies on the potential of artemisinins to combat COVID-19 are now in progress. However, implementing multiple potential new uses of artemisinins will require effective solutions to boost production, either by enhancing synthesis in A. annua itself or through biotechnological engineering in alternative biosynthesis platforms. Because of this renewed interest in artemisinin and its derivatives, here we review its modes of action, its potential application in different diseases including COVID-19, its biosynthesis and future options to boost production.
Highlights
Artemisinin is an oxygenated sesquiterpene lactone, mostly produced in glandular trichomes (GTs) of the medicinal plant Artemisia annua L. (Tang et al, 2014; Wang et al, 2016; Beyraghdar Kashkooli et al, 2018, 2019)
Preliminary results from this study indicate that the agents such as A. annua and Camostat mesilate may help reduce the number of hospitalized patients and that the use of artemisinin-piperaquine for treatment of COVID-19 is safe (Li et al, 2020)
Whether artemisinin can be used to combat malaria, and other diseases, including those acting on a pandemic scale, will very much depend on further validation of the efficacy of artemisinin in these other diseases and on how this compound can cost-effectively be made available to the community
Summary
Artemisinin is an oxygenated sesquiterpene lactone, mostly produced in glandular trichomes (GTs) of the medicinal plant Artemisia annua L. (Tang et al, 2014; Wang et al, 2016; Beyraghdar Kashkooli et al, 2018, 2019). The activation of NF-κB signaling results in the downstream activation of the p50/p65 transcription factors, and artemisinin and artesunate may act as an inhibitor in the NF-κB signaling pathway by blocking the function of p50/p65 in transcriptional activation of target genes like IL-6.
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