2. Academic Validation
  3. Fungal Metabolite Asperaculane B Inhibits Malaria Infection and Transmission

Fungal Metabolite Asperaculane B Inhibits Malaria Infection and Transmission

  • Molecules. 2020 Jul 1;25(13):3018. doi: 10.3390/molecules25133018.
Guodong Niu 1,  Yue Hao 2,  Xiaohong Wang 1,  Jin-Ming Gao 3,  Jun Li 1
Affiliations

Affiliations

  • 1 Department of Biological Sciences, Biomolecular Sciences Institute, Florida International University, Miami, FL 33199, USA.
  • 2 College of Public Health, South China University, Hengyang, Hunan 421001, China.
  • 3 Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Natural Products Chemical Biology, College of Science, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China.
PMID: 32630339 DOI: 10.3390/molecules25133018
Abstract

Mosquito-transmitted Plasmodium parasites cause millions of people worldwide to suffer malaria every year. Drug-resistant Plasmodium parasites and insecticide-resistant mosquitoes make malaria hard to control. Thus, the next generation of antimalarial drugs that inhibit malaria Infection and transmission are needed. We screened our Global Fungal Extract Library (GFEL) and obtained a candidate that completely inhibited Plasmodium falciparum transmission to Anopheles gambiae. The candidate Fungal strain was determined as Aspergillus aculeatus. The bioactive compound was purified and identified as asperaculane B. The concentration of 50% inhibition on P. falciparum transmission (IC50) is 7.89 µM. Notably, asperaculane B also inhibited the development of asexual P. falciparum with IC50 of 3 µM, and it is nontoxic to human cells. Therefore, asperaculane B is a new dual-functional antimalarial lead that has the potential to treat malaria and block malaria transmission.

Keywords

FREP1; fungal secondary metabolites; malaria; mosquito; multiple functional drugs; transmission.

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