A Potential Remedy for Malignant Malaria

A research team from Kolkata has discovered a complex organic compound that inhibits the activity of an enzyme that is essential for the survival and growth of Plasmodium falciparum, a parasite that causes malignant malaria in humans. According to the research team, the compound called hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide (HDTAB) disrupted the activity of the enzyme called choline kinase, an enzyme which plays vital role in the biosynthesis of the most essential phospholipid, phosphatidylcholine in P. falciparum.

HDTAB inhibited P. falciparum choline kinase (PfCK) in a dose-dependent manner and offered very potent antimalarial activity in lab studies against P. falciparum. Furthermore, the antimalarial activity of HDTAB paralleled the decrease in phosphatidylcholine content, which was found to correlate with the decreased phosphocholine generation. These results suggest that inhibition of choline kinase by HDTAB leads to decreased phosphocholine, which in turn causes a decrease in phosphatidylcholine biosynthesis, resulting in death of the parasite.

Moreover, HDTAB exhibited profound antimalarial activity in vivo against the rodent malaria parasite Plasmodium yoelii (N-67 strain). Interestingly, parasites at the trophozoite and schizont stages were found to be particularly sensitive to HDTAB, write the researchers in a recent issue of Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy.

Malaria is still a burning problem in India and other developing countries and second biggest killer after tuberculosis. Till November 2006, nearly 1.04 million Indians were afflicted with malaria. Of all the malaria cases, .46 million cases were P. falciparum cases. Some of the states like MP, Orissa, A.P., West Bengal, Gujarat, North Eastern States, Bihar and Maharashtra are highly endemic for P. falciparum and these states contribute around 97 per cent of the total P. falciparum cases in the country.

Since the 1990s, malaria returned with vengeance. The new obstacles have been resistance in P. falciparum to chloroquine and other anti-malarial drugs and human resistance to chemical control of vectors. Malaria control has become a complex enterprise.

Malaria also causes huge economic loss in a country like India. India has spent up to 25 per cent of its health budget on malaria control from 1977-1997. In 1997, India also started a five-year program for malaria control aimed to target 100 districts where 80 per cent of all P. falciparum cases occur.