Natural Phenolic Compounds and Derivatives as Potential Antimalarial Agents

Area of Science:

• Tropical medicine
• Parasitology
• Medicinal chemistry

Background:

• Malaria, caused by *Plasmodium* parasites, is a major global health issue with increasing drug resistance.
• Traditional medicine utilizes plants in endemic areas for malaria treatment, offering a source for novel compounds.
• Existing antimalarial treatments face challenges due to parasite resistance and variable antigenicity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review promising antiplasmodial phenolic compounds and derivatives isolated between 1990-2018.
• To discuss their structure-activity relationships, mechanisms of action, and toxicity.
• To explore their potential in developing new antimalarial therapies and associated challenges.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of scientific publications from 1990 to 2018.
• Focus on ethnopharmacological approaches for plant selection.
• Analysis of phenolic compounds including phenolic acids, flavonoids, xanthones, coumarins, and lignans.

Main Results:

• Identified numerous phenolic compounds with significant antiplasmodial activity.
• Detailed structure-activity relationships and proposed mechanisms of action for selected compounds.
• Highlighted challenges in drug development, including toxicity and scalability.

Conclusions:

• Phenolic compounds from medicinal plants represent a valuable resource for novel antimalarial drug discovery.
• Further research into their efficacy, safety, and development pathways is crucial.
• Overcoming challenges in translating these natural compounds into viable antimalarial drugs is essential for combating malaria.