Perspective in antimalarial chemotherapy

Antimalarial chemotherapy has become more complex and challenging because of multidrug resistant strains of Plasmodium falciparum. Due to resistance of malarial parasite against well known drugs, the chemotherapy of malaria has become complicated. In this review we have discussed brief introduction followed by life cycle of malaria parasite. The list of commercially available antimalarial drugs along with there action on different stages of parasite have been discussed. A brief description of their mechanism of action and advantages and disadvantages were reported. The natural products as antimalarial have been discussed in the review. On the basis of chemical classes the natural products were divided in the following categories; Quinoline alkaloids, Iso-quinoline alkaloids, Indoloquinoline alkaloids, Carbolines, Bis-isoquinoline, 4-Quinazole derivatives, Trioxanes, Terpenes, Naphthoquinone, Anthraquinones, Chalcones, Hydroxy flavanones, Coumarins and phenolic glycoside. The combination chemotherapy has been highlighted in the review. The Biochemical and Immunological changes in malarial infection are discussed along with complications of malarial chemotherapy due to resistance. In the conclusion section, the future strategies for the chemotherapy of malaria have been discussed.