A possible antimalarial action mode of qinghaosu (artemisinin) series compounds. Alkylation of reduced glutathione by C-centered primary radicals produced from antimalarial compound qinghaosu and 12-(2,4-dimethoxyphenyl)-12-deoxoqinghaosu

Antimalarial compound qinghaosu (1) and its phenyl derivative 2 were reacted with reduced glutathione (GSH) and Fe(II/III) to give, besides other known degradation products, an interesting adduct from a primary C-centered free radical and GSH. Because GSH plays a very important role in the cell cycle, this finding may eventually lead to a new understanding of its mode of action.