Metabolomics-Based Studies on Artemisinin Biosynthesis

Artemisia annua L. is a traditional Chinese medicinal plant. In the 1970s, Chinese scientists first isolated colorless needle-like crystals with antimalarial activity from A. annua and named artemisinin. The chemical structure of artemisinin was confirmed as a sesquiterpene lactone with an endoperoxide bridge, of melting point 156–157 °C and molecular formula C15H22O5.