Anti-malarial drug, artemisinin and its derivatives for the treatment of respiratory diseases

Abstract

Artemisinins are sesquiterpene lactones with a peroxide moiety that are isolated from the herb Artemisia annua. It has been used for centuries for the treatment of fever and chills, and has been recently approved for the treatment of malaria due to its endoperoxidase properties. Progressively, research has found that artemisinins displayed multiple pharmacological actions against inflammation, viral infections, and cell and tumour proliferation, making it effective against diseases. Moreover, it has displayed a relatively safe toxicity profile. The use of artemisinins against different respiratory diseases has been investigated in lung cancer models and inflammatory-driven respiratory disorders. These studies revealed the ability of artemisinins in attenuating proliferation, inflammation, invasion, and metastasis, and in inducing apoptosis. Artemisinins can regulate the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines, nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB), matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), promote cell cycle arrest, drive reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and induce Bak or Bax-dependent or independent apoptosis. In this review, we aim to provide a comprehensive update of the current knowledge of the effects of artemisinins in relation to respiratory diseases to

Artemisia Spp. Derivatives for COVID-19 Treatment: Anecdotal Use, Political Hype, Treatment Potential, Challenges, and Road Map to Randomized Clinical Trials

“…6,7 Among many, derivatives from the herb Artemisia annua (Figure 1) have been used as traditional medicine over centuries for the treatment of fevers, malaria, and respiratory tract infections. 8 The "sweet wormwood" plant contains artemisinin (Figure 2), a medicine developed during the cultural revolution in China. The 2015 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine was awarded to Professor Youyou Tu for her key contributions to its discovery.…”

“…10 Results of a small clinical study from China of artesunate, a hemi-synthetic derivative of artemisinin ( Figure 2), for the treatment of COVID-19 reported that artesunate was associated with shorter duration of COVID-19 symptoms (3.3 ± 1.9 versus 4.8 ±2.2 days) and hospital stays (16.6 ±3.7 versus 18.0 ±4.0) than standard of care. 8 Table 1 shows the concentrations of artemisinin and artesunate that can be achieved in the plasma of patients receiving conventional doses of these drugs, and the concentrations needed to inhibit the replication of other viruses or the inflammatory response in vitro. These data suggest that artesunate may offer both antiviral and anti-inflammatory effects at clinically achievable concentrations.…”

“…These data suggest that artesunate may offer both antiviral and anti-inflammatory effects at clinically achievable concentrations. 8,11,12 In April 2020, an herbal tonic derived from A. annua extracts by the Madagascar Institute of Applied Research and branded "COVID-Organics" was launched. COVID-Organics has been promoted as a cure for COVID-19.…”

“…The reasons for the lack of research data include inadequate healthcare policies and a lack of accepted research methodology for evaluating traditional medicines. 8,26,29 At a time when countries are consumed by their own national interests and agendas, the world is looking to natural products to provide readily available, affordable treatments. A cure or treatment for COVID-19 derived from locally grown herbs and plants remains a viable option for some countries and communities.…”

Turning Up the Volume for Precision Herbal Medicine in Africa in an Era of COVID-19 and Planetary Biodiversity Loss

“…Defined bioactive compounds modulating the immune system and response offer prospects for therapeutics innovation (Florindo et al, 2020), whereas the idea of immune boosting remains contested and calls for future research on the complex ways in which immune system interacts with the virus and patients' recovery from COVID-19. Deciphering the molecular actions of defined bioactive compounds in herbal medicines with an eye to effects on the immune pathways remains an important focus area for precision herbal medicine as exemplified by artemisinin in herb Artemisia annua for treatment of fever, malaria, and respiratory tract infections in Africa and other continents (Cheong et al, 2020).…”