A variety of 1,2,4,5,7-pentoxocane and 1,2,4,5-tetroxane derivatives were prepared as potential peroxide antimalarial agents. In both series of cyclic peroxides, the steric and electronic effects of the substituents attached to the peroxide ring exert a remarkable influence on the antimalarial activity. For some cyclic peroxides, which were found to be highly effective in vitro, the study in vivo has been also conducted.
Cycloprodigiosin hydrochloride (cPrG*HCl) is a stable fluorescent red pigment obtained from the marine bacterium Pseudoalteromonas denitrificans. It was found that the compound was incorporated into Plasmodium falciparum cells upon incubation and exhibited a potent antimalarial activity with the concentration required for 50% of the activity being 11 nM, which is stronger than that of chloroquine, a well-known antimalarial agent. The compound did not affect growth rate of mammalian cells. Antimalarial activity of cPrG*HCl was also observed in vivo. These results indicate that cPrG*HCl is a potent antimalarial drug.
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