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Planta Med 2012; 78(10): 1024-1026
DOI: 10.1055/s-0032-1314949
Natural Product Chemistry
Letters
Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York

The Flavonoids Casticin and Artemetin Are Poorly Extracted and Are Unstable in an Artemisia annua Tea Infusion

Pamela J. Weathers
1   Department Biology and Biotechnology, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester, MA, USA
,
Melissa J. Towler
1   Department Biology and Biotechnology, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester, MA, USA
› Author Affiliations
Further Information

Publication History

received 27 January 2012
revised 15 May 2012

accepted 16 May 2012

Publication Date:
06 June 2012 (online)

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Abstract

A number of flavonoids including casticin and artemetin from Artemisia annua have shown synergism with artemisinin against Plasmodium falciparum, but it is unclear if the flavonoids are also extracted into a tea infusion of the plant. Using a tea infusion preparation protocol that was reported to be highly effective for artemisinin extraction, we measured casticin and artemetin extraction. There was only a 1.8 % recovery of casticin in the infusion while artemetin was undetectable. After 24 hr storage at room temperature, casticin yield declined by 40 %. These results show that although a tea infusion of the plant may extract artemisinin, the polymethoxylated flavonoids casticin and artemetin are poorly extracted and lost with storage at room temperature and thus, the tea infusion appears to lose synergistic value.

Key words

casticin - artemisinin - malaria - stability - tea infusion - Artemisia annua - Asteraceae - Compositae
 

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