The Story Of Tu Youyou And Artemisinin

Tu Youyou, female, born in Ningbo, Zhejiang Province on December 30, 1930, is a pharmacist, lifelong researcher, Principal investigator of the China Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine, and director of the artemisinin research and development center.

When it comes to her story with Artemisinin, I have to mention malaria. Malaria is a serious worldwide epidemic. More than 300 million people in more than 100 countries around the world are infected with malaria every year. Malaria, together with tuberculosis and AIDS, is one of the world's most serious infectious diseases and is known for its high Case fatality rate. In the 1960s, chloroquine and other original Antimalarial medication failed due to the resistance of malaria parasites. The Vietnam War prompted the international community to urgently seek new structural types of Antimalarial medication.

Chinese medicines such as ginseng, Cistanche deserticola, and astragalus

On May 23, 1967, the "523 Project", a major project in China that concentrated national scientific and technological forces to jointly develop new antimalarial drugs, was officially launched. More than 500 researchers from over 60 units have formed a research and development army. In 1969, the Chinese Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine accepted the task of researching antimalarial drugs, and Tu Youyou was the leader of the science and technology team. She led the research team with the guiding ideology of inheriting and carrying forward the heritage of traditional Chinese medicine in modern science. She consulted a large number of literature, systematically organized medical records and herbal medicines from various dynasties, collected over 2000 prescriptions, and compiled them into the "Anti-malaria Prescription and Drug Collection". She also selected more than 200 drugs from them, and after repeated screening and testing, she ultimately focused on Artemisia annua. Drawing on the experience of ancient medicine, a few words caught her attention when consulting the ancient literature "Emergency Prescription for Elbow Reserve": "Hold Artemisia annua, soak it in water twice, wring out the juice, and take it as much as possible." Therefore, various extraction methods were designed, taking into account factors such as temperature and enzymatic hydrolysis, and continuously improving the extraction methods. After more than 380 experiments, more than 190 samples, and more than 2000 cards, it was discovered that sample No. 191 was prepared with ether, The inhibition rate of mouse and monkey malaria reached 100% and finally achieved the successful discovery of artemisia annua anti-malaria in 1971.

Chinese medicines such as ginseng, Cistanche deserticola, and astragalus

Then, through a lot of experiments and experience, Tu Youyou and her colleagues finally extracted a colorless crystal with the Molecular formula of C15H22O5 from Artemisia annua in 1972. It is an active ingredient with a melting point of 156 ℃~157 ℃. They named this colorless crystal material artemisinin.

Chinese medicinal materials such as cistanche deserticola

She has been engaged in the research of antimalarial drugs for many years and won the Lasker Award known as the "Weather Vane" of the Nobel Prize in September 2011 for the discovery of a new Antimalarial medication - artemisinin and Dihydroartemisinin. On October 5, 2015, he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Medicine. Tu Youyou is the first Chinese native scientist to win the Nobel Prize in Science and the first Chinese scientist to win the Nobel Prize in Physiology and Medicine. It is the highest award received by the Chinese medical community to date, and also the highest award received for achievements in traditional Chinese medicine.

Cistanche deserticola

The story of Tu Youyou and artemisinin is not over, it is still going on

Cistanche tea

Click here to view Cistanche deserticola tea products

【Ask for more】 Email:cindy.xue@wecistanche.com /  Whats App:  0086 18599088692 /  Wechat:  18599088692