Artesunate

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