AUTHOR=Ikram Nur K. B. K. , Simonsen Henrik T. 

TITLE=A Review of Biotechnological Artemisinin Production in Plants

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Plant Science

VOLUME=8

YEAR=2017

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/plant-science/articles/10.3389/fpls.2017.01966

DOI=10.3389/fpls.2017.01966

ISSN=1664-462X

ABSTRACT=<p>Malaria is still an eminent threat to major parts of the world population mainly in sub-Saharan Africa. Researchers around the world continuously seek novel solutions to either eliminate or treat the disease. Artemisinin, isolated from the Chinese medicinal herb <italic>Artemisia annua</italic>, is the active ingredient in artemisinin-based combination therapies used to treat the disease. However, naturally artemisinin is produced in small quantities, which leads to a shortage of global supply. Due to its complex structure, it is difficult chemically synthesize. Thus to date, <italic>A. annua</italic> remains as the main commercial source of artemisinin. Current advances in genetic and metabolic engineering drives to more diverse approaches and developments on improving <italic>in planta</italic> production of artemisinin, both in <italic>A. annua</italic> and in other plants. In this review, we describe efforts in bioengineering to obtain a higher production of artemisinin in <italic>A. annua</italic> and stable heterologous <italic>in planta</italic> systems. The current progress and advancements provides hope for significantly improved production in plants.</p>