Background: Malaria is a parasitic disease that compromises the human host. Currently, control of the Plasmodium falciparum burden is centered on artemisinin-based combination therapies. However, decreased sensitivity to artemisinin and derivatives has been reported, therefore it is important to identify new therapeutic strategies.
Method: We used human erythrocytes infected with P. falciparum and experimental cerebral malaria (ECM) animal model to assess the potential antimalarial effect of eugenol, a component of clove bud essential oil.
Results: Plasmodium falciparum cultures treated with increasing concentrations of eugenol reduced parasitemia in a dose-dependent manner, with IC of 532.42 ± 29.55 μM. This effect seems to be irreversible and maintained even in the presence of high parasitemia. The prominent effect of eugenol was detected in the evolution from schizont to ring forms, inducing important morphological changes, indicating a disruption in the development of the erythrocytic cycle. Aberrant structural modification was observed by electron microscopy, showing the separation of the two nuclear membrane leaflets as well as other subcellular membranes, such as from the digestive vacuole. Importantly, in vivo studies using ECM revealed a reduction in blood parasitemia and cerebral edema when mice were treated for 6 consecutive days upon infection.
Conclusions: These data suggest a potential effect of eugenol against Plasmodium sp. with an impact on cerebral malaria.
General Significance: Our results provide a rational basis for the use of eugenol in therapeutic strategies to the treatment of malaria.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.bbagen.2020.129813 | DOI Listing |
ACS Med Chem Lett
January 2025
Institute of Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Universitätsstr. 1, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany.
Multidrug-resistant pathogens pose a major threat to human health, necessitating the identification of new drug targets and lead compounds that are not susceptible to cross-resistance. This study demonstrates that novel reverse thia analogs of the phosphonohydroxamic acid antibiotic fosmidomycin inhibit 1-deoxy-d-xylulose 5-phosphate reductoisomerase (DXR), an essential enzyme for , , and that is absent in humans. Some novel analogs with large α-phenyl substituents exhibited strong inhibition across these three DXR orthologues, surpassing the inhibitory activity of fosmidomycin.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMalar J
January 2025
Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Wollo University, Dessie, Ethiopia.
Background: The increased occurrence of malaria among Africa's displaced communities poses a new humanitarian problem. Understanding malaria epidemiology among the displaced population in African refugee camps is a vital step for implementing effective malaria control and elimination measures. As a result, this study aimed to generate comprehensive and conclusive data from diverse investigations undertaken in Africa.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBiochem Biophys Res Commun
January 2025
Malaria and Vector Research Group (MVRG), Biotechnology Research Center (BRC), Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran. Electronic address:
Recently, there has been significant interest in developing combination adjuvants to achieve efficient vaccines. However, it remains uncertain which combinations of adjuvants could best enhance the immune response to the recombinant antigen. In the current study, to improve the immunogenicity of Plasmodium falciparum cell traversal protein for ookinetes and sporozoites (PfCelTOS), we tested three different adjuvants: MPL, Poly I:C, and QS-21 alone or in a triple mixture (MPL/Poly I:C/QS-21; MPQ) and a dual mixture (Poly I:C/QS-21; PQ).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPLoS Pathog
January 2025
LPHI, UMR 5294 CNRS/UM-UA15 Inserm, Université de Montpellier, Montpellier, France.
A sustained blood-stage infection of the human malaria parasite P. falciparum relies on the active exit of merozoites from their host erythrocytes. During this process, named egress, the infected red blood cell undergoes sequential morphological events: the rounding-up of the surrounding parasitophorous vacuole, the disruption of the vacuole membrane and finally the rupture of the red blood cell membrane.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFACS Infect Dis
January 2025
Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia 30602, United States.
Half the world's population is at risk of developing a malaria infection, which is caused by parasites of the genus . Currently, resistance has been identified to all clinically available antimalarials, highlighting an urgent need to develop novel compounds and better understand common mechanisms of resistance. We previously identified a novel tetrahydro-β-carboline compound, PRC1590, which potently kills the malaria parasite.
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