title: The Potential of β Carbolin Alkaloids to Hinder Growth and Reverse Chloroquine Resistance in Plasmodium falciparum.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Nowadays, scourge of malaria as a fatalistic disease has increased due to emergence of drug resistance and tolerance among different strains of Plasmodium falciparum. Emergence of chloroquine (CQ) resistance has worsened the calamity as CQ is still considered the most efficient, safe and cost effective drug among other antimalarials. This urged the scientists to search for other alternatives or sensitizers that may be able to augment CQ action and reverse its resistance.
  
  
  METHODS
  Three β-carbolin derivatives, namely, harmalin, harmol and harmalol were tested for their anti-plasmodial and CQ resistance reversal effects against P. falciparum 3D7 and K1. SYBRE Green-1 based drug sensitivity assay and isobologram analysis were used to screen the mentioned effects respectively.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All of them showed moderate anti-plasmodium effect and harmalin was the most effective as compared to the others in reversing CQ resistance and tolerance.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The mentioned phytochemicals are not ideal to be used as conventional antimalarials and only harmalin can be suggested to reverse CQ resistance in P. falciparum K1.
authors.affiliation: Pharmacology Unit, Department of Human Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Zaid O
authors.initials: ZO
authors.lastname: Ibraheem
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Microbiology and Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400, Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Roslaini
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Abdul Majid
authors.affiliation: Department of Hematology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400, Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Sabariah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mohd Noor
authors.affiliation: School of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600, UKM-Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Hasidah
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Mohd Sidek
authors.affiliation: Pharmacology Unit, Department of Human Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Rusliza
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Basir
keywords: Chloroquine; Isobologram; Resistance; SYBR green-I; falciparum; β-carbolin
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