Artesunate: Chemical Structure, Mechanism of action, Uses & Side effects

Chemical formula:

• C19H28O8

Structure of Artesunate

Mechanism of action:

• Artesunate is a semisynthetic derivative of artemisinin, a sesquiterpene lactone.

• It rapidly kills Plasmodium parasites by generating reactive oxygen species that damage their cellular structures.

Uses:

• Artesunate is used in combination with other antimalarial drugs as part of artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT) for the treatment of uncomplicated P. falciparum malaria.

• It is also used for severe malaria treatment, particularly in intravenous form.

Side effects:

• Nausea

• Vomiting

• Diarrhea

• abdominal pain

• headache

• dizziness

• and rash.

• Rare but serious side effects include delayed haemolysis, neutropenia, and hepatotoxicity.