Domestication of Artemisia annua Plant and Development of New Antimalarial Drug Arteether in India*

Malaria is one of the world 's most devastating human infectious disease and, In India, it is endemic with the mortality rate steadil y increasing. As a result the search for the development of new and more effective chemotherapeutic agents to control this life threatening disease is going on at several centres. In this context, artemisinin isolated from the Chinese herb qinghao (Artemisia annua) and its derivatives such as arteether, artemether, artesunate, and artilinate have been reported to be effective schizontocidal agent. The Central Institute of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants (CIMAP), in association with Central Drug Research Institute (CDRI), Lucknow had taken up the task of development of a/~-arteether derivative of artemisinin for convenient parenteral treatment of severe and complicated cerebral malaria. The epimeric mixture of a and ~-arteether has the advantage of higher solubility in oil medium and is more economi cal for large scale production. Artemisia annua plant was introduced in India by CIMAP. It also developed the appropriate agrotechnologies for its cultivation under the temperate and semi-temperate climates. CIMAP developed the improved varieties containing high artemisinin content and also efficient isolation procedures for artemisinin and essential oil. CIMAP has also developed an efficient and economical procedure for the preparation of drug arteether. The drug arteether has been marketed by Themis India Ltd under the trade name E-Mal and is most effective against uncomplicated , severe complicated/cerebral and multi-drug resistant malari a cases.