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Potent antimalarial activity of newly synthesized substituted chalcone analogs in vitro

Abstract:

Several new chalcone analogues were synthesized and evaluated as inhibitors of malaria parasite. Inhibitory activity was determined in vitro against a chloroquine-sensitive Plasmodium falciparum strain of parasites. The compound 3-(4-methoxyphenyl)-1-(4-pyrrol-1-yl-phenyl)prop-2-en-1-one was found to be the most active with 50% inhibition concentration (IC50) of 1.61 μg/ml. This inhibitory concentration is comparable to a prototype phytochemical chalcone, licochalcone A, with an IC50 of 1.43 μg/ml. The present study suggests that small, lipophilic nitrogen heterocyclic ring A together with small hydrophobic functionality at ring B can enhance antimalarial activity. These results suggest that chalcones are a class of compounds that provides an option of developing inexpensive, synthetic therapeutic antimalarial agents in the future. Graphical Abstract: Claisen-Schmidt condensation method was employed to synthesize various substituted chalcones. Among all, 3-(4-Methoxyphenyl)-1-(4-pyrrol-1-yl-phenyl) prop-2-en-1-one was found to be most effective with IC50 value of 1.6 μg/ml in vitro against chloroquine sensitive strain (3D7) of Plasmodium falciparum. [Figure not available: see fulltext.] © 2008 Birkhäuser Boston.