[Peroxidative antimalaria mechanism of sodium artesunate]

Peroxidative antimalaria action of sodium artesunate was studied in vitro. Under alkaline conditions, sodium artesunate could produce active oxygen species, including the superoxide anion (O2-) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), but no O2- or H2O2 was produced by the drug at pH 7.4. However, sodium artesunate could increase the concentration of O2- and H2O2 in erythrocytes by increasing membrane lipid peroxidation, with this action being more marked in infected than in normal erythrocytes.