Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 30, 2025
Lethality Bioassay Using Artemia salina L.
Published on: October 11, 2022
Sesquiterpenes from Artemisia annua and Their Cytotoxic Activities
Xiao Han1, Yao Chai2, Cheng Lv1
1The MOE Key Laboratory of Standardization of Chinese Medicines and SATCM Key Laboratory of New Resources and Quality Evaluation of Chinese Medicines, Institute of Chinese Materia Medica (ICMM), Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine (SHUTCM), Shanghai 201203, China.
Abstract:
Artemisia annua is a well-known traditional Chinese medicine. Due to its highest antimalarial efficacy, China has a long history of cultivating A. annua, and it is used for "clearing heat and detoxicating". Several, studies have shown that the A. annua extract exerts cytotoxicity. In order to clarify the basis of the cytotoxic effect of A. annua, 18 sesquiterpenes were isolated from the herb, including 2 new sesquiterpenes and 16 known analogues. The structures of new compounds were elucidated by comprehensive spectroscopic analyses, including HR-ESI-MS, NMR experiments, single-crystal X-ray, and DP4+ and electronic circular dichroism (ECD) calculations. Cytotoxic activity screening revealed three compounds that exhibited cytotoxicity in a dose-dependent manner. Additional exploration showed that compound 5 significantly inhibited the proliferation of CT26 and HCT116 cells and induced apoptosis of HCT116 cells after 24 h. These chemical constituents contributed to elucidating the mechanism of action of the cytotoxic activity of A. annua.
