Do algae help against malaria?

Help algae fight malaria?

24/02/2011

Malaria can possibly be defeated with the help of algae. The dreaded tropical disease may possibly be treated efficiently on a plant-based basis in the future. American researchers led by Julia Kubanek of the Georgia Institute of Technology have used the chemical compounds of a rare red algae species to fight malaria pathogens.

The research team led by Julia Kubanek has presented his findings on the study of the effects of Callophycus serratus - a rare red algae species - at the Annual Meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) in Washington. As the scientist of the Georgia Institute of Technology emphasized, the red alga contains chemical compounds that are the malaria pathogen „Plasmodium falciparum“ to destroy. On the basis of the discovered drug could possibly be an effective drug for the fight against malaria be prepared, so the researchers hope.

US researchers discover antimicrobial agents in red algae
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), between 300 and 500 million people worldwide suffer from malaria every year, with around one million illnesses becoming fatal. On average, every 30 seconds a child dies of malaria and about 90 percent of all diseases affect the African continent, the WHO said. Above all, the growing resistance to conventional medicines causes concern for the experts. It is urgently necessary to develop new active ingredients, emphasized Julia Kubanek and colleagues. Here, the US researchers have apparently taken a big step forward. Investigating the rare red alga Callophycus serratus, which is native to the Fiji Islands, they have discovered several chemical compounds that are antimicrobial and fight the malaria pathogen more efficiently.

Rare red algae species also kill MRSA hospital germs
The red alga itself uses its chemical compounds to protect itself from fungal attack. That was why the researchers discovered them at all. During a dive on the Fiji Islands, they noticed the strikingly clean surface of the red seaweed, which seemed very unusual given the multitude of microorganisms that inhabit the reefs. In the subsequent study of the red alga in the laboratory, the scientists found that Callophycus serratus produces a variety of chemical defense substances that protect them from microbial attack. The laboratory tests have not only revealed that the chemical compounds of the red alga the malaria pathogen „Plasmodium falciparum“ fight particularly well, but the drug would have killed other bacteria. Among other things the dangerous so-called hospital germs, Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA).

Further investigations of the chemical defense substances planned
However, according to the researchers, the red algae chemical substances are not distributed uniformly over the entire surface, but rather concentrate in certain places. These are likely to be particularly susceptible areas, such as injuries or damaged parts, where the chemical compounds should close and protect the potential target, according to Julia Kubanek. Although the contained red algae antibodies are primarily directed against fungi, the laboratory tests have shown that the chemical weapons also act against other microorganisms, the US researcher reported. However, the effect on the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum was the clearest, according to Kubanek. In the laboratory tests, even low concentrations of the antifungal agents killed the pathogens. But there is still a long way to go before a possible new drug, the expert warned. The researchers have to test for the time being, whether the chemical compounds in animals and humans have no toxic (toxic) effect and whether they fight within an organism, the pathogens. In addition, chemical modifications will be tested to increase the efficacy in the treatment of malaria patients, said Julia Kubanek. Their current results provide a good basis for further research, according to the conclusion of the US scientists. (Fp)

Also read:
Algae preparations: Afa algae contain toxins
Discovered drug against malaria

Malaria:
Malaria is a serious infectious disease that, if untreated, causes death in most cases. The first symptoms of malaria are high fever, severe diarrhea and severe gastrointestinal spasms.

Image: Harald Hack