Malaria and artemisinin derivatives: an updated review.
Malaria is the world's most prevalent disease that affects 515-600 million people each year and about 40% of the world's population live at risk for this infection. The prevalence of morbidity and mortality from drug resistant malaria (Plasmodium falciparum) is increasing in most of the developing countries, which is also a global threat because international travel is common now and imported malaria is increasingly a serious problem. Since rapid schizonticidal action of naturally occurring endoperoxides pharmacophore present in artemisinin against drug-resistant malaria has been documented, researchers have focused more on artemisinin analogs than any other antimalarials. In this review, drugs of choice about malaria i.e. artemisinin and its analogus/derivatives (arteether, artemether, artemiside, artemisinin, artemisone, artesunate, dihydroartemisinin) have been discussed in detail e.g. bioavailability, formulation development, stability, combination therapy, additional benefits, drug resistance and toxicity have been reviewed.
Department of Pharmacy, Bahauddin Zakariya University, Multan, Pakistan, 60800. Ansari.Muhammad@gmail.com.
Muhammad Tayyab
MT
Ansari
Zafar Saeed
ZS
Saify
Nighat
N
Sultana
Imran
I
Ahmad
Syed
S
Saeed-Ul-Hassan
Imran
I
Tariq
Munawer
M
Khanum
D000818:Animals; D000962:Antimalarials / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D037621:Artemisinins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002626:Chemistry, Pharmaceutical; D004338:Drug Combinations; D004351:Drug Resistance; D006801:Humans; D008288:Malaria / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology
D000962:Antimalarials; D037621:Artemisinins; D004338:Drug Combinations; C031327:artemisinin