Extraction, Purification, and Quantification of Artemisinin from Artemisia (Artemisia annua L.) using Spectrophotometric Method

Purpose: Plasmodium species are the major causative agents of malaria infection. Artemisinin is an effective bioactive compound in Artemisia annua used in the treatment of malaria. This study aimed to extract and quantify the amount of artemisinin in different accessions of Artemisia annua using different solvents and methods of extraction. Methods: Seventy-nine accessions of Artemisia annua were collected at different stages of growth and development, and planted at the orchard and research field of the Institute for Agricultural Research, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria. The extraction of artemisinin from the different accessions was done using ultrasonic-assisted extraction (UAE) and maceration methods with n-hexane and petroleum ether as the extracting solvents. After the extraction, purification, and the derivatization of the artemisinin, the artemisinin content of each accession was determined spectrophotometrically at a wavelength of 253 nm. The yield of artemisinin from each solvent extract and extraction method was calculated. The data collected was analyzed using SAS, and means were separated using Fisher Least Significant Difference (LSD) test. Results: The findings from this study showed that the solvents n-hexane and petroleum ether, as well as UAE and maceration methods of extraction are suitable for the extraction of artemisinin from artemisia annua. Conclusion: The highest artemisinin content (0.37%) was found in IARART0049 collected at the vegetative stage, and the artemisinin content was constant across the extracting solvents and methods of extraction used. This accession amongst other accessions with similar artemisinin content are promising for the optimal extraction of artemisinin.