Interaction of Qinghaosu (Artemisinin) with Cysteine Sulfhydryl Mediated by Traces of Non-Heme Iron.
The antimalarial action of 1,2,4-trioxanes such as qinghaosu (QHS) may take place through the mechanism shown schematically: In the presence of cysteine traces of non-heme iron (FeSO(4)) may cleave the peroxy bond of QHS rapidly, and the transient carbon-centered radical can attack the sulfur ligand to form a covalent bond.
Wu
Y
State Key Laboratory of Bio-organic & Natural Products Chemistry, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 354 Fenglin Road Shanghai 200032 (China).
Yue
ZY
Wu
YL