The interaction between artemisinin and hemin was investigated by electrochemical methods. Artemisinin was irreversibly reduced at -1. 08V via a two-electron transfer process at glassy carbon electrode. In the presence of hemin at concentration as low as 4.0×10^-^8mol/L, artemisinin can be reduced via the hemin-catalysis and its original cathodic peak at -1.08V completely disappeared. The cathodic overpotential of artemisinin is decreased by ca. 600mV. This process is verified by the fact that complex EDTA-Fe(Ⅲ) can also promote the artemisinin reduction with decreasing the cathodic overpotential of artemisinin for 590mV. These results show that the reduction of artemisinin at glassy carbon electrode is a catalytic process with the aid of hemin. Hemin can greatly decrease the cathodic activation energy of the reduction of artemisinin and promote the decomposition of artemisinin.

Key words: ARTEANNUIN, HEMIN, CATALYSIS, REDUCTION, CYCLOVOLTAMGRAPH, EDTA, IRON ION