Artemisinin – industrial production and use MCQs With Answer

Artemisinin is a sesquiterpene lactone from Artemisia annua that revolutionized antimalarial therapy. Industrial production combines plant cultivation, optimized agronomy, solvent and supercritical extraction, and semi‑synthetic routes from artemisinic acid produced by engineered yeast. B.Pharm students should learn the biosynthetic pathway (amorpha‑4,11‑diene → artemisinic/dihydroartemisinic acid), key enzymes and genes (ADS, CYP71AV1, DBR2), analytical QC (HPLC, MS, NMR, XRPD), formulation of derivatives (artesunate, artemether, DHA), pharmacokinetics, stability and regulatory GMP considerations, as well as resistance mechanisms (kelch13) and supply‑chain challenges. Focus on scale‑up, cost, environmental impact and quality control for safe clinical use. Now let’s test your knowledge with 30 MCQs on this topic.

Q1. Which plant is the primary natural source of artemisinin?

  • Artemisia absinthium
  • Artemisia annua
  • Artemisia afra
  • Artemisia vulgaris

Correct Answer: Artemisia annua

Q2. Artemisinin belongs to which chemical class?

  • Alkaloid
  • Steroid
  • Sesquiterpene lactone
  • Flavonoid

Correct Answer: Sesquiterpene lactone

Q3. Which enzyme catalyzes formation of amorpha‑4,11‑diene, the first committed step in artemisinin biosynthesis?

  • Cytochrome P450 CYP71AV1
  • Amorpha‑4,11‑diene synthase (ADS)
  • Dihydroartemisinic acid oxidase
  • Geranyl diphosphate synthase

Correct Answer: Amorpha‑4,11‑diene synthase (ADS)

Q4. Which cytochrome P450 enzyme performs successive oxidations of amorpha‑4,11‑diene toward artemisinic intermediates?

  • CYP76B6
  • CYP71AV1
  • CYP3A4
  • CYP51

Correct Answer: CYP71AV1

Q5. Industrial semi‑synthetic production commonly relies on microbial fermentation to produce which intermediate?

  • Dihydroartemisinin
  • Artemisinin
  • Artemisinic acid
  • Artesunate

Correct Answer: Artemisinic acid

Q6. Which company collaboration is best known for scaling semi‑synthetic artemisinin production from engineered yeast?

  • Pfizer and GSK
  • Amyris in collaboration with Sanofi
  • Roche and Bayer
  • Novartis alone

Correct Answer: Amyris in collaboration with Sanofi

Q7. Which extraction technique is most widely used at commercial scale for isolating artemisinin from plant biomass?

  • Steam distillation
  • Solvent extraction (e.g., hexane, ethanol)
  • Cold pressing
  • Supercritical water oxidation

Correct Answer: Solvent extraction (e.g., hexane, ethanol)

Q8. What is a major advantage of supercritical CO2 extraction for artemisinin?

  • It requires high amounts of toxic solvents
  • It provides solvent‑free, selective extraction with easier solvent removal
  • It always gives higher yield than fermentation
  • It eliminates need for downstream purification

Correct Answer: It provides solvent‑free, selective extraction with easier solvent removal

Q9. Which analytical method is the gold standard for quantitative assay of artemisinin in API and formulations?

  • Thin layer chromatography (TLC)
  • High‑performance liquid chromatography (HPLC)
  • Colorimetric test only
  • Gel electrophoresis

Correct Answer: High‑performance liquid chromatography (HPLC)

Q10. Which degradation pathway is most relevant for artemisinin stability?

  • Hydrolytic cleavage under neutral conditions only
  • Photo‑oxidation and peroxide cleavage leading to loss of endoperoxide
  • Decarboxylation to form stable metabolites
  • Polymerization to form long chains

Correct Answer: Photo‑oxidation and peroxide cleavage leading to loss of endoperoxide

Q11. Which artemisinin derivative is highly water‑soluble and commonly used for parenteral therapy?

  • Artemether
  • Artesunate
  • Dihydroartemisinin (DHA)
  • Artemisinin (parent compound)

Correct Answer: Artesunate

Q12. The short elimination half‑life of artemisinin derivatives leads to which clinical recommendation?

  • Use as monotherapy for severe malaria
  • Always combine with a longer‑acting partner drug (ACT)
  • Administer once monthly
  • Use only topical formulations

Correct Answer: Always combine with a longer‑acting partner drug (ACT)

Q13. The antimalarial mechanism of artemisinin primarily involves:

  • Inhibition of folate synthesis
  • Covalent DNA alkylation
  • Endoperoxide cleavage by iron/heme generating free radicals that damage parasite proteins
  • Competitive inhibition of dihydrofolate reductase

Correct Answer: Endoperoxide cleavage by iron/heme generating free radicals that damage parasite proteins

Q14. Molecular surveillance of artemisinin resistance largely screens for mutations in which gene?

  • pfcrt
  • kelch13 (K13)
  • pfmdr1
  • dhfr

Correct Answer: kelch13 (K13)

Q15. Which partner drug is commonly paired with artemether in fixed‑dose ACTs?

  • Chloroquine
  • Lumefantrine
  • Sulfadoxine
  • Primaquine

Correct Answer: Lumefantrine

Q16. WHO prequalification for artemisinin APIs and ACTs primarily assesses which aspects?

  • Marketing strategy only
  • GMP compliance, quality control data and clinical efficacy/safety evidence
  • Pricing and distribution channels only
  • Packaging color and design

Correct Answer: GMP compliance, quality control data and clinical efficacy/safety evidence

Q17. In the semi‑synthetic route, artemisinic acid is chemically converted to artemisinin via which general process?

  • Direct hydrogenation to produce artemether
  • Photo‑oxidation and acid‑catalyzed transformations from dihydroartemisinic precursors
  • Fermentation without chemical steps
  • Enzymatic glycosylation

Correct Answer: Photo‑oxidation and acid‑catalyzed transformations from dihydroartemisinic precursors

Q18. Which downstream chemical intermediate must often be reduced before photooxidation to obtain artemisinin?

  • Artemisinic acid to dihydroartemisinic acid
  • DHA to artemether
  • Artesunate to artemisinin
  • Amorpha‑4,11‑diene to farnesene

Correct Answer: Artemisinic acid to dihydroartemisinic acid

Q19. Which technique is typically used to screen for residual solvents in artemisinin APIs?

  • UV‑Vis spectrophotometry
  • Gas chromatography (GC)
  • Polarimetry
  • Paper chromatography

Correct Answer: Gas chromatography (GC)

Q20. Which analytical test is commonly used to detect polymorphic form of artemisinin in the solid API?

  • Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) only
  • Ultraviolet spectroscopy (UV)
  • X‑ray powder diffraction (XRPD)
  • Karl Fischer titration

Correct Answer: X‑ray powder diffraction (XRPD)

Q21. Which storage condition best helps prevent artemisinin degradation?

  • High temperature and direct sunlight
  • Cool, dry, light‑protected storage (amber containers)
  • Open trays at room humidity
  • Freezing and thawing repeatedly

Correct Answer: Cool, dry, light‑protected storage (amber containers)

Q22. Which artemisinin derivative is commonly formulated for intravenous treatment of severe malaria?

  • Artemether (oral oil)
  • Artesunate (intravenous)
  • Artemisinin oral capsules
  • Artemether‑lumefantrine pediatric suspension

Correct Answer: Artesunate (intravenous)

Q23. A major agronomic challenge for producing plant‑derived artemisinin is:

  • Excessively high artemisinin content in all cultivars
  • Low and variable artemisinin yield per biomass
  • No genetic variability in Artemisia annua
  • Rapid, unlimited regrowth allowing continuous harvest

Correct Answer: Low and variable artemisinin yield per biomass

Q24. In engineered yeast used for semi‑synthesis, the strain is optimized to accumulate which product for downstream chemical conversion?

  • Artemether
  • Artemisinic acid
  • Dihydroartemisinin
  • Pure artemisinin

Correct Answer: Artemisinic acid

Q25. Which quality attribute is directly assessed by dissolution testing of oral artemisinin combination tablets?

  • Microbial limit
  • Dissolution rate and drug release performance
  • Residual solvent content
  • Particle size distribution of API

Correct Answer: Dissolution rate and drug release performance

Q26. Which environmental concern is significant for industrial extraction of artemisinin from plant biomass?

  • Excess nitrogen in final API
  • Large volumes of organic solvent waste and energy use
  • Radioactive by‑products
  • Generation of ozone in fermentation

Correct Answer: Large volumes of organic solvent waste and energy use

Q27. For structural confirmation of artemisinin and its derivatives in the lab, which technique provides definitive structural information?

  • Thin layer chromatography (TLC)
  • Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR)
  • Melting point only
  • pH indicator test

Correct Answer: Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR)

Q28. Artemether is commonly administered by which routes in clinical practice?

  • Topical only
  • Oral and intramuscular
  • Intravenous only
  • Inhalation

Correct Answer: Oral and intramuscular

Q29. Which packaging choice best protects artemisinin formulations from photo‑degradation during storage and transport?

  • Clear plastic bottles stored in sunlight
  • Amber glass or aluminum blister packaging with light barrier
  • Perforated paper wraps
  • Open trays in warehouses

Correct Answer: Amber glass or aluminum blister packaging with light barrier

Q30. According to WHO treatment guidelines, artemisinin derivatives are primarily recommended as:

  • Monotherapy for prevention of malaria
  • First‑line partner in artemisinin‑based combination therapies (ACTs) for uncomplicated P. falciparum malaria
  • Only for bacterial infections
  • Second‑line drugs for viral infections

Correct Answer: First‑line partner in artemisinin‑based combination therapies (ACTs) for uncomplicated P. falciparum malaria

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