scholarly journals Antimalarial Activity of Simalikalactone E, a New Quassinoid from Quassia amara L. (Simaroubaceae)

2009 ◽  
Vol 53 (10) ◽  
pp. 4393-4398 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. Cachet ◽  
F. Hoakwie ◽  
S. Bertani ◽  
G. Bourdy ◽  
E. Deharo ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT We report the isolation and identification of a new quassinoid named simalikalactone E (SkE), extracted from a widely used Amazonian antimalarial remedy made out of Quassia amara L. (Simaroubaceae) leaves. This new molecule inhibited the growth of Plasmodium falciparum cultured in vitro by 50%, in the concentration range from 24 to 68 nM, independently of the strain sensitivity to chloroquine. We also showed that this compound was able to decrease gametocytemia with a 50% inhibitory concentration sevenfold lower than that of primaquine. SkE was found to be less toxic than simalikalactone D (SkD), another antimalarial quassinoid from Q. amara, and its cytotoxicity on mammalian cells was dependent on the cell line, displaying a good selectivity index when tested on nontumorogenic cells. In vivo, SkE inhibited murine malaria growth of Plasmodium vinckei petteri by 50% at 1 and 0.5 mg/kg of body weight/day, by the oral or intraperitoneal routes, respectively. The contribution of quassinoids as a source of antimalarial molecules needs therefore to be reconsidered.

2020 ◽  
Vol 16 ◽  
Author(s):  
Haicheng Liu ◽  
Yushi Futamura ◽  
Honghai Wu ◽  
Aki Ishiyama ◽  
Taotao Zhang ◽  
...  

Background: Malaria is one of the most devastating parasitic diseases, yet the discovery of antimalarial agents remains profoundly challenging. Very few new antimalarials have been developed in the past 50 years, while the emergence of drug-resistance continues to appear. Objective: This study focuses on the discovery, design, synthesis, and antimalarial evaluation of 3-cinnamamido-N-substituted benzamides. Method: In this study, a screening of our compound library was carried out against the multidrug-sensitive Plasmodium falciparum 3D7 strain. Derivatives of the hit were designed, synthesized and tested against P. falciparum 3D7 and the in vivo antimalarial activity of the most active compounds was evaluated using the method of Peters’ 4-day suppressive test. Results: The retrieved hit compound 1 containing a 3-cinnamamido-N-substituted benzamide skeleton showed moderate antimalarial activity (IC50 = 1.20 µM) for the first time. A series of derivatives were then synthesized through a simple four-step workflow, and half of them exhibited slightly better antimalarial effect than the precursor 1 during the subsequent in vitro assays. Additionally, compounds 11, 23, 30 and 31 displayed potent activity with IC50 values of approximately 0.1 µM, and weak cytotoxicity against mammalian cells. However, in vivo antimalarial activity is not effective which might be ascribed to the poor solubility of these compounds. Conclusion: In this study, phenotypic screen of our compound library resulted in the first report of 3-cinnamamide framework with antimalarial activity and 40 derivatives were then designed and synthesized. Subsequent structure-activity studies showed that compounds 11, 23, 30 and 31 exhibited the most potent and selective activity against P. falciparum 3D7 strain with IC50 values around 0.1 µM. Our work herein sets another example of phenotypic screen-based drug discovery, leading to potentially promising candidates of novel antimalarial agents once given further optimization.


2009 ◽  
Vol 53 (4) ◽  
pp. 1320-1324 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. O. Faruk Khan ◽  
Mark S. Levi ◽  
Babu L. Tekwani ◽  
Shabana I. Khan ◽  
Eiichi Kimura ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT In an attempt to augment the efficacy of 7-chloro 4-aminoquinoline analogs and also to overcome resistance to antimalarial agents, we synthesized three cyclen (1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane) analogs of chloroquine [a bisquinoline derivative, 7-chloro-4-(1,4,7,10-tetraaza-cyclododec-1-yl)-quinoline HBr, and a 7-chloro-4-(1,4,7,10-tetraaza-cyclododec-1-yl)-quinoline-Zn2+ complex]. The bisquinoline displays the most potent in vitro and in vivo antimalarial activities. It displays 50% inhibitory concentrations (IC50s) of 7.5 nM against the D6 (chloroquine-sensitive) clone of Plasmodium falciparum and 19.2 nM against the W2 (chloroquine-resistant) clone, which are comparable to those of artemisinin (10.6 and 5.0 nM, respectively) and lower than those of chloroquine (10.7 and 87.2 nM, respectively), without any evidence of cytotoxicity to mammalian cells, indicating a high selectivity index (>1,333 against D6 clone and >521 against W2 clone). Potent antimalarial activities of the bisquinoline against chloroquine- and mefloquine-resistant strains of P. falciparum were also confirmed by in vitro [3H]hypoxanthine incorporation assay. The in vivo antimalarial activity of the bisquinoline, as determined in P. berghei-infected mice, is comparable to that of chloroquine (50% effective dose, ≤1.1 mg/kg when given orally); no apparent toxicity has been observed up to the highest dose tested (3 × 30 mg/kg). The bisquinoline inhibits in vitro hemozoin (β-hematin) formation with an IC50 of 1.1 μM, which is about 10-fold more potent than chloroquine (IC50 9.5 μM). Overall, this article describes the discovery of a new class of cyclen 4-aminoquinoline analogs as potent antimalarial drugs.


2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (5) ◽  
pp. 377-389 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vigyasa Singh ◽  
Rahul Singh Hada ◽  
Amad Uddin ◽  
Babita Aneja ◽  
Mohammad Abid ◽  
...  

Background: Novel drug development against malaria parasite over old conventional antimalarial drugs is essential due to rapid and indiscriminate use of drugs, which led to the emergence of resistant strains. Methods: In this study, previously reported triazole-amino acid hybrids (13-18) are explored against Plasmodium falciparum as antimalarial agents. Among six compounds, 15 and 18 exhibited antimalarial activity against P. falciparum with insignificant hemolytic activity and cytotoxicity towards HepG2 mammalian cells. In molecular docking studies, both compounds bind into the active site of PfFP-2 and block its accessibility to the substrate that leads to the inhibition of target protein further supported by in vitro analysis. Results: Antimalarial half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) of 15 and 18 compounds were found to be 9.26 μM and 20.62 μM, respectively. Blood stage specific studies showed that compounds, 15 and 18 are effective at late trophozoite stage and block egress pathway of parasites. Decreased level of free monomeric heme was found in a dose dependent manner after the treatment with compounds 15 and 18, which was further evidenced by the reduction in percent of hemoglobin hydrolysis. Compounds 15 and 18 hindered hemoglobin degradation via intra- and extracellular cysteine protease falcipain-2 (PfFP-2) inhibitory activity both in in vitro and in vivo in P. falciparum. Conclusion: We report antimalarial potential of triazole-amino acid hybrids and their role in the inhibition of cysteine protease PfFP-2 as its mechanistic aspect.


2009 ◽  
Vol 53 (5) ◽  
pp. 1727-1734 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Agbor-Enoh ◽  
C. Seudieu ◽  
E. Davidson ◽  
A. Dritschilo ◽  
M. Jung

ABSTRACT Histone deacetylases (HDAC) are potential targets for the development of new antimalarial drugs. The growth of Plasmodium falciparum and other apicomplexans can be suppressed in the presence of potent HDAC inhibitors in vitro and in vivo; however, in vivo parasite suppression is generally incomplete or reversible after the discontinuation of drug treatment. Furthermore, most established HDAC inhibitors concurrently show broad toxicities against parasites and human cells and high drug concentrations are required for effective antimalarial activity. Here, we report on HDAC inhibitors that are potent against P. falciparum at subnanomolar concentrations and that have high selectivities; the lead compounds have mean 50% inhibitory concentrations for the killing of the malaria parasite up to 950 times lower than those for the killing of mammalian cells. These potential drugs improved survival and completely and irreversibly suppressed parasitemia in P. berghei-infected mice.


1996 ◽  
Vol 40 (2) ◽  
pp. 358-361 ◽  
Author(s):  
V Sinou ◽  
P Grellier ◽  
J Schrevel

The stage-dependent susceptibility of Plasmodium falciparum to a short exposure to docetaxel (Taxotere) was evaluated by subjecting ring-infected, trophozoite-infected, and schizont-infected erythrocytes to a 5-h exposure to various concentrations of the drug. The schizont stage was shown to be the most sensitive stage; an inhibition of more than 60% of parasite development was observed at 10 nM. At this drug concentration, the development of the younger ring and trophozoite forms was unaffected. The in vivo antimalarial activity of docetaxel against the development in blood of old trophozoites of a species that causes malaria in rodents, Plasmodium vinckei petteri, was evaluated in IOPS-OF1 mice. Two tests were performed: the 4-day suppressive test, as described by Peters (W. Peters, p. 145-273, in Chemotherapy, and Drug Resistance in Malaria, vol. 1, 1987), and the effects of a single injection of docetaxel after inoculation of the parasites. A single injection of docetaxel at 40 mg/kg of body weight was sufficient to reduce drastically the level of parasitemia; 90% inhibition of the development of parasites in blood was observed 5 days after drug injection. This program avoided the toxicity observed when mice were treated with four injections of docetaxel. The possibility of using a single bolus of taxoids to treat malaria infections is discussed.


2007 ◽  
Vol 51 (4) ◽  
pp. 1463-1472 ◽  
Author(s):  
Françoise Benoit-Vical ◽  
Joël Lelièvre ◽  
Antoine Berry ◽  
Caroline Deymier ◽  
Odile Dechy-Cabaret ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Malaria is the third most significant cause of infectious disease in the world. The search for new antimalarial chemotherapy has become increasingly urgent due to parasite resistance to classical drugs. Trioxaquines are synthetic hybrid molecules containing a trioxane motif (which is responsible for the antimalarial activity of artemisinin) linked to an aminoquinoline entity (which is responsible for the antiplasmodial properties of chloroquine). These trioxaquines are highly potent against young erythrocytic stages of Plasmodium falciparum and exhibit efficient activity in vitro against chloroquine-sensitive and -resistant strains of P. falciparum (50% inhibitory concentration, 4 to 32 nM) and are also active in vivo against P. vinckei petteri and P. yoelii nigeriensis in suppressive and curative murine tests. The trioxaquine DU1302 is one of these promising antimalarial agents. The present study confirms the absence of toxicity of this drug on cell lines and in a mice model. Moreover, DU1302 exhibits potent activity against gametocytes, the form transmitted by mosquitoes, as killing of the gametocytes is essential to limit the spread of malaria. The ease of chemical synthesis of this trioxaquine prototype should be considered an additional advantage and would make these drugs affordable without perturbations of the drug supply.


1992 ◽  
Vol 45 (10) ◽  
pp. 1651 ◽  
Author(s):  
GB Barlin ◽  
TMT Nguyen ◽  
B Kotecka ◽  
KH Rieckmann

A total of 26 di-Mannich base derivatives of 2-(7'-chloroquinolin-4'-ylamino)phenol and 2-[7'- bromo (and trifluoromethyl )-1',5'-naphthyridin-4'-ylino]phenol, such as 2-(7'-chloroquinolin- 4'-ylamino)-4,6-bis( piperidin-1″-ylmethyl )phenol, together with some 3- and 5-methyl derivatives and mono-Mannich analogues, have been prepared by condensation of the 4-chloro heterocycle with the appropriate Mannich base derivatives of 2-aminophenols. In in vitro tests against Plasmodium falciparum, many of the di-Mannich base derivatives of 2-(7'-chloroquinolin-4'-ylarnino)phenol exhibited activity comparable to or superior to chloroquine against the chloroquine -sensitive (FCQ-27) isolate, and vastly superior activity compared with chloroquine against the chloroquine -resistant (K-1) isolate. Strong antimalarial activity was also revealed in in vivo tests against Plasmodium vinckei vinckei in mice.


1996 ◽  
Vol 40 (3) ◽  
pp. 602-608 ◽  
Author(s):  
C Gumila ◽  
M L Ancelin ◽  
G Jeminet ◽  
A M Delort ◽  
G Miquel ◽  
...  

Twenty-two ionophore compounds were screened for their antimalarial activities. They consisted of true ionophores (mobile carriers) and channel-forming quasi-ionophores with different ionic specificities. Eleven of the compounds were found to be extremely efficient inhibitors of Plasmodium falciparum growth in vitro, with 50% inhibitory concentrations of less than 10 ng/ml. Gramicidin D was the most active compound tested, with 50% inhibitory concentration of 0.035 ng/ml. Compounds with identical ionic specificities generally had similar levels of antimalarial activity, and ionophores specific to monovalent cations were the most active. Compounds were further tested to determine their in vitro toxicities against mammalian lymphoblast and macrophage cell lines. Nine of the 22 compounds, i.e., alborixin, lonomycin, nigericin, narasin, monensin and its methylated derivative, lasalocid and its bromo derivative, and gramicidin D, most specific to monovalent cations, were at least 35-fold more active in vitro against P. falciparum than against the two other mammalian cell lines. The enhanced ability to penetrate the erythrocyte membrane after infection could be a factor that determines ionophore selectivity for infected erythrocytes.


1987 ◽  
Vol 37 (3) ◽  
pp. 495-500 ◽  
Author(s):  
William B. Cowden ◽  
Geoffrey A. Butcher ◽  
Fumio Yoneda ◽  
Nicholas H. Hunt ◽  
Ian A. Clark

2008 ◽  
Vol 52 (4) ◽  
pp. 1454-1461 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. T. Andrews ◽  
T. N. Tran ◽  
A. J. Lucke ◽  
P. Kahnberg ◽  
G. T. Le ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT The malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum has at least five putative histone deacetylase (HDAC) enzymes, which have been proposed as new antimalarial drug targets and may play roles in regulating gene transcription, like the better-known and more intensively studied human HDACs (hHDACs). Fourteen new compounds derived from l-cysteine or 2-aminosuberic acid were designed to inhibit P. falciparum HDAC-1 (PfHDAC-1) based on homology modeling with human class I and class II HDAC enzymes. The compounds displayed highly potent antiproliferative activity against drug-resistant (Dd2) or drug sensitive (3D7) strains of P. falciparum in vitro (50% inhibitory concentration of 13 to 334 nM). Unlike known hHDAC inhibitors, some of these new compounds were significantly more toxic to P. falciparum parasites than to mammalian cells. The compounds inhibited P. falciparum growth in erythrocytes at both the early and late stages of the parasite's life cycle and caused altered histone acetylation patterns (hyperacetylation), which is a marker of HDAC inhibition in mammalian cells. These results support PfHDAC enzymes as being promising targets for new antimalarial drugs.


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