Abstract |
In many tropical countries malaria is endemic, causing acute illness and killing people, especially children. The availability of recommended malaria medicines is scant, even though these medicines are based on artemisinin, a compound extracted from the Artemisia annua plant that grows in many of these countries. New sources of treatment drawn from traditional medicine are therefore used, such as the tea infusion. An analytical method based on high-performance liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS) was developed to quantify the artemisinin content of foods prepared with Artemisia annua leaves. A fast and reliable analytical method is described. The technique does not require any derivatisation prior to injection and offers excellent analytical intermediate precision. Robust qualitative and quantitative results were obtained using tea, biscuit or porridge specimens. Although further research is needed to define the potential therapeutic benefits of these alimentary formulations, the analytical method described can be employed in developing more convenient and appropriate foods for administering artemisinin to those infected with malaria.
|
Authors | Andrea Carrà, Renzo Bagnati, Roberto Fanelli, Maurizio Bonati |
Journal | Food chemistry
(Food Chem)
Vol. 142
Pg. 114-20
(Jan 01 2014)
ISSN: 1873-7072 [Electronic] England |
PMID | 24001820
(Publication Type: Evaluation Study, Journal Article)
|
Copyright | Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. |
Chemical References |
- Artemisinins
- Plant Extracts
- artemisinin
|
Topics |
- Artemisia annua
(chemistry, classification)
- Artemisinins
(analysis)
- Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid
(methods)
- Plant Extracts
(analysis)
- Plant Leaves
(chemistry)
- Tandem Mass Spectrometry
(methods)
|