A study of malaria resistance and the urgent need to discover new antimalarials

Abstract

Malaria, which is caused by multiplication of the protozoan parasite Plasmodium falciparum in
erythrocytes, is a major health problem in many southern countries. There is an urgent need to
discover new antimalarials, due to the spread of chloroquinine resistance and the limited number of
available drugs. Among marine invertebrates, Porifera (sponges) are potential source of novel bioactive
compounds to provide future drugs against malaria, cancer and a range of viral diseases. A number of
sponge-derived antimalarials have been discovered during the last decade. The compounds are mostly
nitrogen containing ones (proteins, pyridines, tyrosine-based metabolites, alkaloids, indoles and
amides) and also non-nitrogenous compounds (terpenes, polyketides and polysaccharides).