Digital Commons Network^™

Use Of Whole Plant Artemisia Annua L. As An Antimalarial Therapy, Elfawal Mostafa, Melissa J. Towler, Ricardo T. Gazzinelli, Douglas T. Golenbock, Pamela J. Weathers, Stephen M. Rich

Pamela Weathers

Anti-malarial drugs are primary weapons for reducing Plasmodium transmission in human populations. Successful drugs have been highly efficacious and inexpensive to synthetically manufacture. Emergence of resistant parasites reduces the lifespan of each drug that is developed and deployed. Currently, the most effective anti-malarial is artemisinin (AN), which is extracted from the leaves of Artemisia annua. Because of its poor pharmacokinetic properties and prudent efforts to curtail emergence of resistance, AN is prescribed only in combination with other anti-malarials composing an Artemisinin Combination Therapy (ACT). Low yield in the plant and the added cost of secondary anti-malarials in the ACT, …