Abstract
Malaria remains a major global health concern. New, inexpensive, and effective antimalarial agents are urgently needed. Here we show that curcumin, a polyphenolic organic molecule derived from turmeric, inhibits chloroquine-resistant Plasmodium falciparum growth in culture in a dose dependent manner with an IC(50) of approximately 5 microM. Additionally, oral administration of curcumin to mice infected with malaria parasite (Plasmodium berghei) reduces blood parasitemia by 80-90% and enhances their survival significantly. Thus, curcumin may represent a novel treatment for malarial infection.
Publication types
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Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
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Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.
MeSH terms
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Animals
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Antimalarials / administration & dosage
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Antimalarials / pharmacology*
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Antimalarials / therapeutic use*
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Curcumin / administration & dosage
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Curcumin / pharmacology*
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Curcumin / therapeutic use*
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Inhibitory Concentration 50
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Malaria / blood
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Malaria / drug therapy*
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Malaria / parasitology
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Male
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Mice
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Parasitemia / blood
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Parasitemia / drug therapy
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Parasitemia / parasitology
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Plasmodium berghei / drug effects
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Plasmodium falciparum / drug effects
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Plasmodium falciparum / growth & development
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Survival Rate