Malaria with special stress on plasmodium falciparum resistance to chloroquine and its reversal

Abstract

This review outlines the life cycle of the malarial parasites, details out the intra-erythrocytic activities of the Plasmodia with regard to the sources of the various nutrients required by them such as the amino acids, glucose, pyrimidine. purines, fatty acids and folic acid. It also discusses the various ways available to combat malaria with an emphasis on chemotherapy and vaccination, The review also discusses resistance of the various Plasmodia to the available anti-malarial* and concentrated on the various ways through which the malarial parasite Plasmodium falitparurm acquires: resistance to chloroquine and pinpointed the various ways for the reversal of the resistance chemically. These included reduction of the vacuolar pH of the parasite, suppression of chloroquine efflux via inhibition of the membrane-bound p-glycoprotein pump, activation of the proton pumping ATPase system, enhancement of chloroquine binding to the chemically altered FPIX and the enhancement of chloroquine binding to die vacuolar lysosomal enzymes.