Quantitative Estimation and Biosynthetic Pathways Study of Artemisinin in <i>Artemisia tournefortiana</i> : An Alternative Source for Artemisinin

The growing resistance of Plasmodium species to existing antimalarial drugs and the limited global supply of artemisinin pose significant challenges to malaria control programs. Since Artemisia annua is currently the sole commercial source of artemisinin, there is a pressing need to identify supplementary sources. The present study investigates Artemisia tournefortiana, a plant native to the Trans-Himalayan region of Ladakh, as an alternative source of artemisinin. Quantification of artemisinin in different plant parts was carried out using RP-HPLC-PDA with a C18 column (250 mm × 4.6 mm, 5 μm) and a mobile phase comprising phosphate buffer (pH 2.2) and acetonitrile (50:50, v/v). The maximum artemisinin content was detected in the flowers (1.43%), followed by roots (0.33%) and seeds (0.32%), with flower content varying from 0.05% to 1.43% across different geographical sites. Gene sequences encoding enzymes involved in the artemisinin biosynthetic pathway were retrieved from GenBank, and specific primers were designed using Primer3 for comparative DNA sequencing of A. annua and A. tournefortiana. Sequence comparison revealed notable similarities, supporting the biosynthetic potential of A. tournefortiana as an alternative, though less productive, source of artemisinin.