title: Probing the possible molecular origin of the highly selective toxicity of antimalarial peroxide qinghaosu (artemisinin).
abstract: The radicals derived from qinghaosu (artemisinin) showed strong tendency for intramolecular reactions and thus are unlikely to cause so much damage to cells as simple alkyl radicals, giving a clue to the extraordinarily low toxicity of this radical precursor at therapeutic doses.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Bio-Organic & Natural Products Chemistry, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 354 Fenglin Road, Shanghai 200032, China. yikangwu@mail.sioc.ac.cn
authors.forename: Yikang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: He-Hua
authors.initials: HH
authors.lastname: Liu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000962:Antimalarials / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000633:toxicity*; D037621:Artemisinins / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000633:toxicity*; D007928:Lethal Dose 50; D051379:Mice; D015394:Molecular Structure; D010545:Peroxides / Q000737:chemistry; D051381:Rats; D012717:Sesquiterpenes / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000633:toxicity*; D013329:Structure-Activity Relationship
chemical_list: D000962:Antimalarials; D037621:Artemisinins; D010545:Peroxides; D012717:Sesquiterpenes; C031327:artemisinin