World Journal of
Pharmaceutical and Life Sciences

LC–MS–INTEGRATED QUANTITATIVE AND THERAPEUTIC EVALUATION OF DIHYDROARTEMISININ IN PLASMODIUM FALCIPARUM CELL LINE CULTURES

Dr. Syed Ahmed Hussain*, Ghousia Begum, Nada Ahmed Al Amoodi, Fariya Sultana, Bilquis Begum, Somabatthini Shruthi, Ayesha Ayub Khan, Muskan Khatoon

ABSTRACT

This study evaluates the in vitro antimalarial efficacy and host-cell safety of Artemisinin relative to Dihydroartemisinin (DHA) using Plasmodium falciparum (H37Rv)-infected human red blood cell (RBC) models. A five-assay panel was employed to assess parasite viability and erythrocyte cytotoxicity. Parasite inhibition was determined via SYBR Green I fluorescence and parasite lactate dehydrogenase (pLDH) activity, while RBC cytotoxicity was analyzed by hemolysis, host LDH release, and Annexin V binding assays. Artemisinin displayed strong antimalarial activity, reducing parasite viability to 18% and pLDH activity to 22%, whereas Dihydroartemisinin maintained full viability (100%), confirming the higher potency of Artemisinin. Host-cell safety assays showed minimal hemolysis (3%), low LDH release (4%), and limited eryptosis (5%) for both compounds, indicating excellent selectivity for parasite targets over RBC membranes. Overall, Artemisinin exhibited potent antiplasmodial activity with minimal erythrotoxic effects, validating its role as a cornerstone of artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACTs).

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