Extraction of artemisinin from Artemisia annua L

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Malaria has caused many deaths worldwide, mainly in Africa. Most people affected by this disease are children under five years of age. Several treatments have been proposed to combat this disease but, among the compounds studied to date, artemisinin has shown potential due to its therapeutic effect. Different solvent extraction methodologies have been used to isolate artemisinin from natural sources such as Artemisia annua L leaves. However, the amount and purity of the artimisinin obtained are still a challenge. The main objective of this project is to use supercritical fluid (SCF) extraction, an environmentally-friendly "green" technology, to extract artemisinin from Artemisia annua L leaves provided by Bio-Share International Ltd. SCF extraction using carbon dioxide as the solvent allows easy separation of the solvent from the extracted arteminisin, leaving a product that is easy to isolate and characterize. Results from SCF extraction (in terms of yield and product quality) will be compared to conventional solvent extraction. A high yield of pure artimisinin will allow commercialization of artimisinin produced in Canada and will strengthen Canada's agricultural sector. Successful extraction and commercialization of artimisinin also has a social benefit of potentially providing an affordable treatment for malaria, a widespread disease affecting the third world.