Home 禄 Metro 禄 Health and Science
Breakthrough in malaria fight
SCIENTISTS have developed a new and cheaper method to synthesize artemisinin, a key ingredient for making anti-malarial medicines, Shanghai Jiao Tong University announced yesterday.
The finding is vital for mass production of an artemisinin drug that can save millions of malaria patients worldwide, the university said.
Artemisinin is hard to extract from artemisia annua, or sweet wormwood, a plant with bright yellow flowers.
"The high cost of extraction makes the drug a luxury for most patients," said Zhang Wanbin, a lead researcher and professor of the university's School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering.
His team found a catalyst enabling the extraction of artemisinin from the plant's flowers without using other chemicals. One ton of artemisia annua can produce 6 to 8 kilograms of artemisinin. Each kilogram costs 4,000 yuan (US$630) to 6,000 yuan.
The new method is expected to slash costs by more than half, Zhang said.
The finding is vital for mass production of an artemisinin drug that can save millions of malaria patients worldwide, the university said.
Artemisinin is hard to extract from artemisia annua, or sweet wormwood, a plant with bright yellow flowers.
"The high cost of extraction makes the drug a luxury for most patients," said Zhang Wanbin, a lead researcher and professor of the university's School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering.
His team found a catalyst enabling the extraction of artemisinin from the plant's flowers without using other chemicals. One ton of artemisia annua can produce 6 to 8 kilograms of artemisinin. Each kilogram costs 4,000 yuan (US$630) to 6,000 yuan.
The new method is expected to slash costs by more than half, Zhang said.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS
- |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 娌狪CP璇侊細娌狪CP澶05050403鍙-1
- |
- 浜掕仈缃戞柊闂讳俊鎭湇鍔¤鍙瘉锛31120180004
- |
- 缃戠粶瑙嗗惉璁稿彲璇侊細0909346
- |
- 骞挎挱鐢佃鑺傜洰鍒朵綔璁稿彲璇侊細娌瓧绗354鍙
- |
- 澧炲肩數淇′笟鍔$粡钀ヨ鍙瘉锛氭勃B2-20120012
Copyright 漏 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.