Design and synthesis of a new class of 4-aminoquinolinyl- and 9-anilinoacridinyl Schiff base hydrazones as potent antimalarial agents.

A series of novel 4-aminoquinolinyl and 9-anilinoacridinyl Schiff base hydrazones have been synthesized and evaluated for their antimalarial activity. All compounds were evaluated in vitro for their antimalarial activity against chloroquine-sensitive strain 3D7 and the chloroquine-resistant K1 strain of Plasmodium falciparum and for cytotoxicity toward Vero cells. Compounds 17, 20, and 21 displayed good activity against the 3D7 strain with IC50 values ranging from 19.69 to 25.38 nm. Moreover, compounds 16, 17, 21, 24, 32, and 33 exhibited excellent activities (21.64-54.26 nm) against K1 strain and several compounds displayed ß-hematin inhibitory activity, suggesting that they act on the heme crystallization process such as CQ. Compounds were also found to be non-toxic with good selectivity index.

Isolation and identification of ß-hematin inhibitors from Flacourtia indica as promising antiplasmodial agents.

An ethanolic extract (A001) of the leaves and twigs of Flacourtia indica (Burm.f.) Merr., was purified to give a new phenolic glycoside, 2-(2-benzoyl-ß-D-glucopyranosyloxy)-7-(1α,2α,6α-trihydroxy-3-oxocyclohex-4-enoyl)-5-hydroxybenzyl alcohol (1) together with poliothrysoside (2), catechin-[5,6-e]-4ß-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)dihydro-2(3H)-pyranone (3), 2-(6-benzoyl-ß-D-glucopyranosyloxy)-7-(1α,2α,6α-trihydroxy-3-oxocyclohex-4-enoyl)-5-hydroxybenzyl alcohol (4), chrysoeriol-7-O-ß-D-glucopyranoside (5), and mururin A (6). Compound 6 significantly inhibited the in vitro growth of both a chloroquine-sensitive (3D7) and a chloroquine-resistant (K1) strain of Plasmodium falciparum. It forms a complex with hematin and inhibits ß-hematin formation, suggesting that this compound act on a heme polymerization target.

Management of mycoplasma contamination in in vitro culture of Plasmodium falciparum without antibiotic treatment - a preliminary report.

The presence of foreign contamination, especially of mycoplasmas, is a major hindrance in long term in vitro cultivation of Plasmodium falciparum and may be a source of false-positive results. Efforts have been made to control mycoplasma contamination by trypsinization of P. falciparum culture. Samples of accidentally contaminated cultures were used for this study. The presence of Mycoplasma orale in contaminated culture was ascertained by a species-specific PCR-based mycoplasma detection kit (Takara; Cat. No.6601). Trypsinization was carried out using trypsin-EDTA and the growth profile of P. falciparum was monitored for more than three weeks post-trypsinization. The studies were carried out with four different P. falciparum strains, various serum supplements and human erythrocytes belonging to different blood groups. It was interesting to observe that, irrespective of the different strains of P. falciparum and the variety of serum supplements and erythrocytes, mycoplasma contamination can successfully be removed from P. falciparum culture by trypsinization. No antibiotic except gentamicin, which is routinely used, was added to the medium. Results of this study indicate that the frequent appearance of mycoplasma in continuous long-term cultures of P. falciparum can be managed by trypsinization.