Wednesday, 28 December 2016

Artocarpus altilis dược liệu kháng Hep3B, SMMC7721 (tế bào ung thư gan), P388, U937 (tế bào ung thư máu), SW480 (tế bào ung thư đại tràng), T47D (tế bào ung thư vú).

 Artocarpus altilis dược liệu kháng Hep3B, SMMC7721 (tế bào ung thư gan), P388, U937 (tế bào ung thư máu), SW480 (tế bào ung thư đại tràng), T47D (tế bào ung thư vú).

Breadfruit

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
  (Redirected from Artocarpus altilis)
For other uses, see List of plants known as breadfruit.
Breadfruit
Artocarpus altilis (fruit).jpg
Breadfruit at TortugueroCosta Rica
Scientific classification
Kingdom:Plantae
(unranked):Angiosperms
(unranked):Eudicots
(unranked):Rosids
Order:Rosales
Family:Moraceae
Tribe:Artocarpeae[1]
Genus:Artocarpus
Species:A. altilis
Binomial name
Artocarpus altilis
(ParkinsonFosberg
Synonyms
  • Artocarpus altilis var. non-seminiferus (Duss) Fournet)
  • Artocarpus altilis var. seminiferus (Duss) Fournet
  • Artocarpus communis J.R.Forst. & G.Forst.
  • Artocarpus incisifolius Stokes [Illegitimate]
  • Artocarpus incisus (Thunb.) L.f.
  • Artocarpus incisus var. non-seminiferus Duss
  • Artocarpus incisus var. seminiferus Duss
  • Artocarpus laevis Hassk.
  • Artocarpus papuanus Diels [Illegitimate]
  • Artocarpus rima Blanco
  • Radermachia incisa Thunb. [Unplaced]
  • Saccus laevis Kuntze
  • Sitodium altile Parkinson ex F.A.Zorn [2]
Breadfruit (Artocarpus altilis) is a species of flowering tree in the mulberry and Jackfruit family (Moraceae) originating in the South Pacific and that was eventually spread to the rest of Oceania. British and French navigators introduced a few Polynesian seedless varieties to Caribbean islands during the late 18th century, and today it is grown in some 90 countries throughout South and Southeast Asia, the Pacific Ocean, the Caribbean, Central America and Africa.[3][4] Its name is derived from the texture of the moderately ripe fruit when cooked, similar to freshly baked bread; it has a potato-like flavor.
Ancestors of the Polynesians found the trees growing in northwest New Guinea around 3,500 years ago. They gave up the rice cultivation they had brought with them from Taiwan, and raised breadfruit wherever they went in the Pacific. (Easter Island and New Zealand are too cold to support its cultivation.) Their ancient eastern Indonesian cousins spread the plant west and north through insular and coastal Southeast Asia. In historical times, the trees have been widely planted in tropical regions elsewhere, including the Caribbean. In addition to the fruit serving as a staple food in many cultures, the trees' light, sturdy timber has been used for outriggers, ships and houses in the tropics.

Description[edit]


Breadfruit tree planted in Honolulu, Hawaii
Breadfruit trees grow to a height of 25 m (82 ft). The large and thick leaves are deeply cut into pinnate lobes. All parts of the tree yield latex, a milky juice, which is useful for boat caulking.
The trees are monoecious, with male and female flowers growing on the same tree. The male flowers emerge first, followed shortly afterward by the female flowers. The latter grow into capitula, which are capable of pollination just three days later. The compound, false fruit develops from the swollen perianth, and originates from 1,500-2,000 flowers. These are visible on the skin of the fruit as hexagon-like disks.
Breadfruit is one of the highest-yielding food plants, with a single tree producing up to 200 or more grapefruit-sized fruits per season. It requires very limited care. In the South Pacific, the trees yield 50 to 150 fruits per year. In southern India, normal production is 150 to 200 fruits annually. Productivity varies between wet and dry areas. In the Caribbean, a conservative annual estimate is 25 fruits per tree. Studies in Barbados indicate a reasonable potential of 16 to 32 tons per hectare (6.7-13.4 tons/acre). The ovoid fruit has a rough surface, and each fruit is divided into many achenes, each achene surrounded by a fleshy perianth and growing on a fleshy receptacle. Most selectively bred cultivars have seedless fruit.
The breadfruit is very closely related to the breadnut, from which it might have been selected. It is noticeably similar in appearance to the also related jackfruit.

Habitat[edit]

Breadfruit, an equatorial lowland species, grows best below elevations of 650 metres (2,130 ft), but is found at elevations of 1,550 metres (5,090 ft). Its preferred rainfall is 1,500–3,000 millimetres (59–118 in) per year. Preferred soils are neutral to alkaline (pH of 6.1-7.4) and either sand, sandy loam, loam or sandy clay loam. Breadfruit is able to grow in coral sands and saline soils.[5]

Nutrition[edit]

Breadfruit, raw
Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz)
Energy431 kJ (103 kcal)
27.12 g
Sugars11
Dietary fiber4.9 g
0.23 g
1.07 g
Vitamins
Vitamin A equiv.
22 μg
Thiamine (B1)
(10%)
0.11 mg
Riboflavin (B2)
(3%)
0.03 mg
Niacin (B3)
(6%)
0.9 mg
Pantothenic acid (B5)
(9%)
0.457 mg
Vitamin B6
(8%)
0.1 mg
Folate (B9)
(4%)
14 μg
Choline
(2%)
9.8 mg
Vitamin C
(35%)
29 mg
Vitamin E
(1%)
0.1 mg
Vitamin K
(0%)
0.5 μg
Minerals
Calcium
(2%)
17 mg
Iron
(4%)
0.54 mg
Magnesium
(7%)
25 mg
Manganese
(3%)
0.06 mg
Phosphorus
(4%)
30 mg
Potassium
(10%)
490 mg
Sodium
(0%)
2 mg
Zinc
(1%)
0.12 mg
Other constituents
Water70.65 g

Percentages are roughly approximated using US recommendations for adults.
Source: USDA Nutrient Database
Breadfruit is 71% water, 27% carbohydrates, 1% protein and negligible in fat (table). Raw breadfruit is a rich source (20% or more of the Daily Value, DV) of vitamin C, a good source (10-19% DV) of thiamin and potassium, with no other nutrients in significant content (table).

Uses[edit]

Breadfruit is a staple food in many tropical regions. The trees were first propagated far outside their native range by Polynesian voyagers who transported root cuttings and air-layered plants over long ocean distances. Breadfruit are very rich in starch, which transforms to sugars when very ripe. Before being eaten, the fruits are roasted, baked, fried or boiled. When cooked, the taste of moderately ripe breadfruit is described as potato-like, or similar to freshly baked bread.

The fruit of the breadfruit tree - whole, sliced lengthwise and in cross-section
Because breadfruit trees usually produce large crops at certain times of the year, preservation of the harvested fruit is an issue. One traditional preservation technique is to bury peeled and washed fruits in a leaf-lined pit where they ferment over several weeks and produce a sour, sticky paste. So stored, the product may last a year or more, and some pits are reported to have produced edible contents more than 20 years later.[6] Fermented breadfruit mash goes by many names such as mahrmamasifuro, and bwiru, among others.

Drawing of breadfruit by John Frederick Miller
Most breadfruit varieties also produce a small number of fruits throughout the year. Fresh breadfruit is always available, but somewhat rare when not in season.
Breadfruit can be eaten once cooked, or can be further processed into a variety of other foods. A common product is a mixture of cooked or fermented breadfruit mash mixed with coconut milk and baked in banana leaves. Whole fruits can be cooked in an open fire, then cored and filled with other foods, such as coconut milk, sugar and butter, cooked meats, or other fruits. The filled fruit can be cooked further so the flavor of the filling permeates the flesh of the breadfruit.
The Hawaiian staple food called poi, made of mashed taro root, is easily substituted for, or augmented with, mashed breadfruit. The resulting "breadfruit poi" is called poi ʻulu. Breadfruit is also found in Indonesia and Malaysia, where it is called sukun. In Indonesia, fried breadfruit is easily found being sold by street food vendors, and is known as gorengan. In the South Indian state of Kerala and coastal Karnataka, especially on the sides of Mangalore, where it is widely grown and cooked, it is known as kada chakka or seema chakka or jee kujje and deegujje, respectively.
Breadfruit was brought to the Caribbean area and successfully cultivated. In Belize, the Mayan people call it masapan. In Puerto Rico, breadfruit is called panapen or pana, for short. In some in-land regions it is also called mapénPana is often served boiled with a mixture of sauteed bacalao (salted cod fish), olive oil and onions. It is also served as tostones or mofongo. In the Dominican Republic, it is known by the name buen pan or "good bread".

A polished basalt breadfruit pounder used by the Tahitian people of French Polynesia. From the Honolulu Academy of Arts collection
Breadfruit was widely used in a variety of ways among Pacific Islanders. Its lightweight wood (specific gravity of 0.27)[7] is resistant to termites and shipworms, so it is used as timber for structures and outrigger canoes.[8] Its wood pulp can also be used to make paper, called breadfruit tapa.[8] It is also used in traditional medicine to treat illnesses that range from sore eyes to sciatica.[8] Native Hawaiians used its sticky latex to trap birds, whose feathers were made into cloaks.[9] The wood of the breadfruit tree was one of the most valuable timbers in the construction of traditional houses in Samoan architecture.
Breadfruit contains phytochemicals having potential as an insect repellent.[10][11]

In history[edit]

Sir Joseph Banks and others saw the value of breadfruit as a highly productive food in 1769, when stationed in Tahiti as part of the Endeavour expedition commanded by Captain James Cook. The late-18th-century quest for cheap, high-energy food sources for slaves in British colonies prompted colonial administrators and plantation owners to call for the plant to be brought to the Caribbean. As President of The Royal Society, Banks provided a cash bounty and gold medal for success in this endeavor, and successfully lobbied his friends in government and the Admiralty for a British Naval expedition. In 1787, William Bligh was appointed Captain of the HMS Bounty, and ordered to proceed to the South Pacific to collect the plants. Banks appointed a gardener for the expedition and gave detailed instructions on how the plants were to be maintained. The Bountyremained in Tahiti for five months, during which over 1000 plants were collected, potted and transferred to the ship. However, within a month of leaving, many of the crew mutinied, expelling Captain Bligh and supporters in a long-boat, and returned to Tahiti. Bligh survived the ordeal, sailing with 18 loyal crew the 3,618 nautical miles (6,701 km; 4,164 mi) to Timor, reaching there in late 1789. In 1791, Bligh commanded a second expedition with the Providence and the Assistant, which collected live breadfruit plants in Tahiti and transported these to St Helena, in the Atlantic, and St. Vincent and Jamaica in the West Indies. Although Bligh won the Royal Society medal for his efforts, the introduction was not entirely successful, as most slaves refused to eat the new food.[12] However, breadfruit was accepted into the cuisine of Puerto Rico.
According to Sri Lankan folklore, Dutch colonial rulers introduced a variety of breadfruit from the Java Islands to Sri Lanka in the 17th century. The new variety bore larger fruits than the endemic variety, which was known as Sinhala del (සිංහල දෙල්). The foreign variety was referred to as rata del (රට දෙල්) which means foreign breadfruit.[citation needed]

In culture[edit]


A young breadfruit
On Puluwat in the Caroline Islands, in the context of sacred yitang lore, breadfruit (poi) is a figure of speech for knowledge. This lore is organized into five categories: war, magic, meetings, navigation, and breadfruit.[13]
According to an etiological Hawaiian myth, the breadfruit originated from the sacrifice of the war god . After deciding to live secretly among mortals as a farmer, Kū married and had children. He and his family lived happily until a famine seized their island. When he could no longer bear to watch his children suffer, Kū told his wife that he could deliver them from starvation, but to do so he would have to leave them. Reluctantly she agreed, and at her word, Kū descended into the ground right where he had stood until only the top of his head was visible. His family waited around the spot he had last been, day and night, watering it with their tears until suddenly, a small green shoot appeared where Kū had stood. Quickly, the shoot grew into a tall and leafy tree that was laden with heavy breadfruits that Kū's family and neighbors gratefully ate, joyfully saved from starvation.[14]
Though they are widely distributed throughout the Pacific, many breadfruit hybrids and cultivars are seedless or otherwise biologically incapable of naturally dispersing long distances. Therefore, it is clear that humans aided distribution of the plant in the Pacific, specifically prehistoric groups who colonized the Pacific Islands. To investigate the patterns of human migration throughout the Pacific, scientists have used molecular dating of breadfruit hybrids and cultivars in concert with anthropological data. Results support the west-to-east migration hypothesis, in which the Lapita people are thought to have traveled from Melanesia to numerous Polynesian islands.[15]
The world's largest collection of breadfruit varieties has been established by botanist Diane Ragone, from over 20 years' travel to 50 Pacific islands, on a 10-acre (4.0-hectare) plot outside of Hana, Hawaii, on the isolated east coast of Maui.[16]

Recipes[edit]


Sliced and fried breadfruit in a bag
There are many ways to cook breadfruit. In Sri Lanka, it is either cooked as a curry using coconut milk and spices (which becomes a side dish) or consumed after boiling. Boiled breadfruit is a famous main meal. It is often consumed with scraped coconut or coconut sambol, made of scraped coconut, red chilli powder and salt mixed with a dash of lime juice. A traditional sweet snack made of finely sliced, sun-dried breadfruit chips deep-fried in coconut oil and dipped in heated treacle or sugar syrup is known as rata del petti.[17]
In India, fritters of breadfruit, called jeev kadge phodi in Konkani or "kadachakka varuthath" in Malayalam are a local delicacy in coastal Karnataka and Kerala.
In Seychelles, it was traditionally eaten as a substitute for rice, as an accompaniment to the mains. It would either be consumed boiled (friyapen bwi) or grilled (friyapen griye), where it would be put whole in the wood fire used for cooking the main meal and then taken out when ready. It is also eaten as a dessert, called ladob friyapen, where it is boiled in coconut milk, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon and a pinch of salt.
In Puerto Rico, it is traditionally eaten boiled with bacalao (salted codfish). It is also used to make rellenos de pana (mashed breadfruit filled with seasoned meat), mofongotostones de pana (double fried breadfruit), and even lasaña de pana (cooked mashed breadfruit layered with meat and topped with cheese). A popular dessert is also made with sweet ripe breadfruit: flan de pana (breadfruit custard).
In Barbados, breadfruit is boiled with salted meat and mashed with butter to make breadfruit coucou. It is usually eaten with saucy meat dishes.
Both ripe and unripe fruits have culinary uses, but unripe breadfruit is cooked before consumption.[18]

Gallery[edit]

Artemisia annua dược liệu kháng HepG2 (tế bào ung thư gan), K562, P388 (tế bào ung thư máu), A549 (tế bào ung thư phổi), MCF7 (tế bào ung thư vú), Hela (tế bào ung thư cổ tử cung), IMR32 (tế bào ung thư thần kinh).

Artemisia annua dược liệu kháng HepG2 (tế bào ung thư gan),  K562, P388 (tế bào ung thư máu),  A549 (tế bào ung thư phổi),  MCF7 (tế bào ung thư vú),  Hela (tế bào ung thư cổ tử cung),  IMR32 (tế bào ung thư thần kinh).

Artemisia annua

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
"Sweet annie" redirects here. For the song, see Sweet Annie.
Artemisia annua
Artemisia annua.jpeg
Scientific classification
Kingdom:Plantae
(unranked):Angiosperms
(unranked):Eudicots
(unranked):Asterids
Order:Asterales
Family:Asteraceae
Genus:Artemisia
Species:A. annua
Binomial name
Artemisia annua
L.
Synonyms[1]
Artemisia chamomilla C.Winkl.
Artemisia annua, also known as sweet wormwoodsweet anniesweet sagewortannual mugwort[2] or annual wormwood (Chinese青蒿pinyinqīnghāo), is a common type of wormwood native to temperate Asia, but naturalized in many countries including scattered parts of North America.[3][4][5][6]

Characteristics[edit]

Artemisia annua belongs to the plant family of Asteraceae and is an annual short-day plant. Its stem is erect brownish or violet brown. The plant itself is hairless and naturally grows from 30 to 100 cm tall, although in cultivation it is possible for plants to reach a height of 200 cm. The leaves of A. annua have a length of 3–5 cm and are divided by deep cuts into two or three small leaflets. The intensive aromatic scent of the leaves is characteristic.[7] The Artemisinin content in dried leaves is in between 0% and 1.5%.[8] New hybrids of Artemisia annua developed in Switzerland can reach a leaf artemisinin content of up to 2%.[9] The small flowers have a diameter of 2-2.5 mm and are arranged in loose panicles. Their color is green-yellowish. The seeds are brown achenes with a diameter of only 0.6-0.8 mm. Their thousand-kernel weight (TKW) averages around 0.03 g (in comparison, wheat has a TKW of approximately 45 g).[7][10]

Agricultural practice[edit]

The growing period of Artemisia annua from seeding till harvest is 190–240 days, depending on the climate and altitude of the production area. The plant should be harvested at the beginning of flowering. At that time the artemisinin content is the highest.[8] Dry leave yields of Artemisia annuaplantations vary between 0.5 and 3 t/ha.[9]
Growth PhasesDays after sowing
Seed germination4-10
Appearance of 1st pair of leaves15-30
Appearance of 2nd pair of leaves21-50
Branching60-90
Cessation of growth in height170-200
Flowering190-240
Full frutition230-280
Withering260-310
Source: [8]
In terms of the climate A. annua prefers sunny and warm conditions. Its optimal growth temperature lies within 20 and 25 °C. Annual temperature sums of 3500-5000 °C (sum of temperatures higher 10 °C over one year) are required to guarantee a proper maturing. The rainfall during the growing season should not be less than 600 mm (annual rainfall higher 1150 mm). Especially the seedlings of A. annua. are susceptible to drought or water lodging. The mature plants on the other hand are quite resistance to those climate conditions. Nevertheless, the preferred soil conditions for A. annua are light soils with deep topsoils and good drainage properties.[8]But it is reported, that the plant is adaptable to different soil types. Paired with the relatively low demand on the environment Artemisia annua can have characteristics of a neophytic plant.[11]
Artemisia annua is best sown in rows. That facilitates weeding, which has to be done mechanically or manually since no chemical crop protection agents are admitted. It is recommended to sow 1.4 – 2 seeds per square meter.[9] The fertilizer requirements are on a low level. Potassium should be used as base fertilizer. It is taken up by the plant during the whole growing season.[8] Nitrogen is required during early branching stages, an amount of approximately 70 kg N/ha is sufficient for the plant.[12]Phosphate on the other hand is required during the blooming stages. Phosphate fertilization can lead to a higher artemsinin content in the leaves.[13] The application of salicylic acid on the leaves shortly before harvesting the plant also can raise its artemisinin content.[14] Besides few viral diseases Artemisia a. has no major diseases that need to be controlled.
The harvest of the plant is best done in the state of flower budding. The whole plant is harvested and cut into branches which are dried in the sun or in an oven. The drying temperature should not exceed 40 °C. The dry branches are shaken or beaten to separate the leaves from the stem. The leaves are then packed into fabric bags and shipped to further processing.[8] It is important that the temperatures during transportation and storage never get higher than 40 °C, otherwise artemisinin gets volatile and is lost into the air. The leaves should not be crushed before long time storage (1 year). The optimal storage conditions are either 20 °C with 85% relative humidity (RH) or 30 °C with 30-40% RH.[15]

Medicinal uses[edit]

Folk medicine[edit]

In traditional Chinese medicineA. annua is traditionally used to treat fever.[16]

Mechanism[edit]


Seeds
The proposed mechanism of action of artemisinin involves cleavage of endoperoxide bridges by iron, producing free radicals(hypervalent iron-oxo species, epoxidesaldehydes, and dicarbonyl compounds) which damage biological macromolecules causing oxidative stress in the cells of the parasite.[17] Malaria is caused by apicomplexans, primarily Plasmodium falciparum, which largely reside in red blood cells and itself contains iron-rich heme-groups (in the form of hemozoin).[18] In 2015 artemisinin was shown to bind to a large number targets suggesting that it acts in a promiscuous manner.[19]

Extractions[edit]

In 1971, scientists demonstrated the plant extracts had antimalarial activity in primate models, and in 1972, the active ingredient, artemisinin (formerly referred to as arteannuin), was isolated and its chemical structure described. Artemisinin may be extracted using a low boiling point solvent, such as diethylether, and is found in the glandular trichomes of the leaves, stems, and inflorescences, and it is concentrated in the upper portions of plant within new growth.[20] The first isolation of artemisinin from the herb occurred from a military project known as Project 523, following the study of traditional medicine pharmacopoeias performed by Tu Youyou and other researchers within the project.[21]

Antioxidant activity[edit]

Schermata 11-2457342 alle 16.54.16.png
Apart from the active compound Artemisinin, recent studies show that A. annua is one of the four medical plants with the highest Oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) level.[22]
Artemisia annua possesses the capacity to produce high phenolic compounds, which result in high antioxidant activity. Five major groups (coumarins, flavones, flavonols, phenolic acids and miscellaneous) containing over 50 different phenolic compounds were identified analyzing A. annua.[23]
Flavonoids are generally known for their redox properties involved in the delay or inhibition of the initiation or propagation in oxidizing chain reactions.[23]
Even though the beneficial effect of these phenolic compounds in association of a great number of diseases is often discussed, different studies show beneficial effects of flavonoids compound produced by A. annua. It has been stated that there is a negative correlation between the presence of the mentioned components and cardiovascular diseases, cancer and parasiticdisease such as malaria.[23]

Artemisinin and flavonoids[edit]

In the last 20 years researchers focused on the activity of artemisinin against malaria. Therefore, fewer studies have been done about the relationship between flavonoids and cancer. Despite that, recent studies show that the flavonoids present in the A. annua leaf are linked to suppression of CYP450 enzymes responsible for altering the absorption and metabolism of artemisinin in the body.[23] Further researches in the synergistic effect of artemisinin and flavonoids and their biological interaction between malaria and cancer are needed.[23]

Malaria treatment[edit]


Artemisia annua
Research to develop antimalarial drugs led to the discovery of artemisinin, a compound which is extracted from Artemisia annua, in the 1970s by Chinese scientist Tu Youyou, for which she shared the 2015 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine.[16][24] While most TCM herbs are boiled at high temperature that can damage the active ingredient in Artemisia annua,[24] one traditional source says that this herb is to be steeped in cold water;[25] knowing this, scientists found that a better extract was obtained by using a low-temperature ether-based extraction method. Purification processes were used to isolate the active molecule. And, clinical trials showed the active ingredient to be an effective drug.[24]
Artemisinin is a sesquiterpene lactone with an endoperoxide bridge and has been produced semisynthetically as an antimalarial drug. The efficacy of tea made from A. annua in the treatment of malaria is dubious. Research has found that artemesinin is not soluble in water and the concentrations in these infusions are considered insufficient to treat malaria.[26][27][28] In 2004, the Ethiopian Ministry of Health changed Ethiopia's first line antimalaria drug from sulfadoxine/pyrimethamine (Fansidar), which has an average 36% treatment failure rate, to artemether/lumefantrine (Coartem), a drug therapy containing artemesinin which is 100% effective when used correctly, despite a worldwide shortage at the time of the needed derivative from A. annua.[29] A 2012 review said that artemisinin-based remedies are the most effective drugs for the treatment of malaria.[30] A 2013 review suggested that although Artemisia annua may not cause hepatotoxicity, haematotoxicity, or hyperlipidemia, it should be used cautiously during pregnancy due to a potential risk of embryotoxicity at a high dose.[31]
Despite global efforts in combating malaria, it remains a large burden for the population, particularly in tropical and subtropical regions.[32] Although WHO recommends artemisinin-based remedies for treating uncomplicated malaria, artemisinin resistance can no longer be ignored.[32] The causes that affected the emergence of artemisinin resistance include, for example, the use of artemisinin-based remedies.[32] Encouraging herbal alternatives are in the pipeline, but the only indelible solution for the eradication of malaria would be for the creation of an effective vaccination.[32] Emergence of artemisinin resistance has been identified in Cambodia and the border of Thailand.[33] It will likely spread to other endemic areas across the world in the impending future.[33] As of 2013, it seems that the pathogenic agent of malaria is slowly becoming resistant to artemisinin-based drugs.[34][35]

Anti-cancer properties[edit]

Several studies show that flavonoids assimilation beverages treatments such as tea might prevent, delay or help to cure cancer. Recent investigations linked the influence of flavonoids with different enzymes involved in drug metabolism and in chemical Carcinogenesis process. This induces to a therapeutic potential.[36]
Many studies show anti-cancer results analyzing different flavonoids, such as flavones and flavonols. In general it has been shown that specific flavonoid compounds can inhibit specific cancer cell growth as well as cell proliferation. Furthermore, these flavonoids induce cell Apoptosis.[23]
It is proven, that artemisinin has anti-cancer activity as well, because it contains an endoperoxide group. Artemisinin has a high anti-cancer activity due to its interaction with iron complexes[37] in the blood. This shows that artemisinin derivatives induce apoptosis of cancer cells as well.[38]
Synthetic derivatives of artemisinin are being investigated for their potential use as anticancer drugs.[39]

Asthma[edit]

Animal experiments showed that artesunate, a synthetic derivative of artemisinin, has anti-allergic properties, by effecting mast cell degranulation. This makes artesunate a candidate for treatment of allergic asthma.[40] A Metabolomics animal study further strengthens this hope.[41]