Anti-malarial effect of 1-(N-acetyl-6-aminohexyl)-3-hydroxy-2-methylpyridin-4-one and green tea extract on erythrocyte-stage Plasmodium berghei in mice

Objective: To examine the efficacy of 1-(N-acetyl-6-aminohexyl)-3-hydroxy-2-methylpyridin-4-one (CM1) iron chelator and green tea extract (GTE) as anti-malarial activity in Plasmodium berghei (P. berghei) infected mice. Methods: The CM1 (0–100 mg/kg/day) and GTE (0–100 mg (−)-epigallocatechin 3-gallate equivalent/kg/day) were orally administered to P. berghei infected mice for consecutive 4 days. Parasitized red blood cells (PRBC) were enumerated by using Giemsa staining microscopic method. Results: CM1 lowered percentage of PRBC in dose-dependent manner with an ED50 value of 56.91 mg/kg, when compared with pyrimethamine (PYR) (ED50 = 0.76 mg/kg). GTE treatment did not show any inhibition of the malaria parasite growth. In combined treatment, CM1 along with 0.6 mg/kg PYR significantly inhibited the growth of P. berghei in mice while GTE did not enhance the PYR anti-malarial activity. Conclusions: CM1 would be effective per se and synergize with PYR in inhibiting growth of murine malaria parasites, possibly by limiting iron supply from plasma transferrin and host PRBC cytoplasm, and chelating catalytic iron cstitutive in parasites’ mitochondrial cytochromes and cytoplasmic ribonucleotide reductase. CM1 would be a promising adjuvant to enhance PYR anti-malarial activity and minimize the drug resistance