Artesunate
/ˌɑːr.tɪˈsuː.neɪt/noun
A water-soluble antimalarial drug derived from artemisinin and used especially to treat severe malaria.
Did you know?Artesunate is a chemically modified derivative of artemisinin, which was isolated from sweet wormwood after researchers revisited a traditional Chinese remedy called qinghao.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
Ἄρτεμις (Ártemis)
“Artemis, the goddess whose name later became associated with the plant genus Artemisia”
1st Century CE
Latin
Artemisia
“A plant genus name, traditionally linked to Artemis or to Artemisia of Caria”
20th Century
Botanical Latin
Artemisia annua
“The scientific name for sweet wormwood, the plant containing the antimalarial compound artemisinin”
1972
Modern scientific English
artemisinin
“The antimalarial sesquiterpene lactone isolated from Artemisia annua by Chinese researchers”
1970s
Pharmaceutical English
artesunate
“A water-soluble hemisuccinate derivative of artemisinin, developed to improve its medical delivery”
Modern English
English
artesunate
“An injectable or oral antimalarial medicine, especially important in emergency treatment of severe malaria”
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