Gossypol is a natural product with good antimalarial activity against Plasmodium falciparum clinical isolates
Abstract Gossypol has demonstrated significant antimalarial activity against chloroquine-resistant and susceptible Plasmodium falciparum parasites. However, data on its potency in clinical isolates of P. falciparum remains limited. This study aimed to assess the potency of gossypol against six labor...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Nature Portfolio
2025-01-01
|
| Series: | Scientific Reports |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-85643-6 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1841544790019145728 |
|---|---|
| author | Jersley D. Chirawurah Felix Ansah Samuel Blankson Bridget Adikah Silas Nkansah Yeboah Lucas Amenga-Etego Gordon A. Awandare Yaw Aniweh |
| author_facet | Jersley D. Chirawurah Felix Ansah Samuel Blankson Bridget Adikah Silas Nkansah Yeboah Lucas Amenga-Etego Gordon A. Awandare Yaw Aniweh |
| author_sort | Jersley D. Chirawurah |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Gossypol has demonstrated significant antimalarial activity against chloroquine-resistant and susceptible Plasmodium falciparum parasites. However, data on its potency in clinical isolates of P. falciparum remains limited. This study aimed to assess the potency of gossypol against six laboratory strains and twenty-one clinical isolates of P. falciparum using optimized growth inhibition assays. Additionally, parasites with reduced susceptibility to gossypol were selected using the P. falciparum Dd2 background (Dd2_3.5 µM) and tested for cross-resistance to chloroquine, dihydroartemisinin (DHA), and three Malaria box compounds (MMV006087, MMV085203, and MMV008956). On average, gossypol was found to be twice as potent against the laboratory strains compared to the clinical isolates, with IC₅₀ values of 6.490 µM and 11.670 µM, respectively. Notably, Dd2_3.5 µM parasites displayed increased sensitivity after three months of exposure but developed decreased susceptibility after six months. Importantly, these gossypol-tolerant parasites showed no cross-resistance to chloroquine, DHA, or the three Malaria box compounds. These findings suggest that gossypol is effective against P. falciparum and holds potential as part of combination therapy with existing antimalarials. Furthermore, these results may support the identification of new antimalarial agents that are effective against drug-resistant malaria parasites. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-fa5a1a6324664751ab82b9ec786c28b1 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2045-2322 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Scientific Reports |
| spelling | doaj-art-fa5a1a6324664751ab82b9ec786c28b12025-01-12T12:19:55ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222025-01-0115111410.1038/s41598-025-85643-6Gossypol is a natural product with good antimalarial activity against Plasmodium falciparum clinical isolatesJersley D. Chirawurah0Felix Ansah1Samuel Blankson2Bridget Adikah3Silas Nkansah Yeboah4Lucas Amenga-Etego5Gordon A. Awandare6Yaw Aniweh7West African Centre for Cell Biology of Infectious Pathogens, University of GhanaWest African Centre for Cell Biology of Infectious Pathogens, University of GhanaWest African Centre for Cell Biology of Infectious Pathogens, University of GhanaWest African Centre for Cell Biology of Infectious Pathogens, University of GhanaWest African Centre for Cell Biology of Infectious Pathogens, University of GhanaWest African Centre for Cell Biology of Infectious Pathogens, University of GhanaWest African Centre for Cell Biology of Infectious Pathogens, University of GhanaWest African Centre for Cell Biology of Infectious Pathogens, University of GhanaAbstract Gossypol has demonstrated significant antimalarial activity against chloroquine-resistant and susceptible Plasmodium falciparum parasites. However, data on its potency in clinical isolates of P. falciparum remains limited. This study aimed to assess the potency of gossypol against six laboratory strains and twenty-one clinical isolates of P. falciparum using optimized growth inhibition assays. Additionally, parasites with reduced susceptibility to gossypol were selected using the P. falciparum Dd2 background (Dd2_3.5 µM) and tested for cross-resistance to chloroquine, dihydroartemisinin (DHA), and three Malaria box compounds (MMV006087, MMV085203, and MMV008956). On average, gossypol was found to be twice as potent against the laboratory strains compared to the clinical isolates, with IC₅₀ values of 6.490 µM and 11.670 µM, respectively. Notably, Dd2_3.5 µM parasites displayed increased sensitivity after three months of exposure but developed decreased susceptibility after six months. Importantly, these gossypol-tolerant parasites showed no cross-resistance to chloroquine, DHA, or the three Malaria box compounds. These findings suggest that gossypol is effective against P. falciparum and holds potential as part of combination therapy with existing antimalarials. Furthermore, these results may support the identification of new antimalarial agents that are effective against drug-resistant malaria parasites.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-85643-6 |
| spellingShingle | Jersley D. Chirawurah Felix Ansah Samuel Blankson Bridget Adikah Silas Nkansah Yeboah Lucas Amenga-Etego Gordon A. Awandare Yaw Aniweh Gossypol is a natural product with good antimalarial activity against Plasmodium falciparum clinical isolates Scientific Reports |
| title | Gossypol is a natural product with good antimalarial activity against Plasmodium falciparum clinical isolates |
| title_full | Gossypol is a natural product with good antimalarial activity against Plasmodium falciparum clinical isolates |
| title_fullStr | Gossypol is a natural product with good antimalarial activity against Plasmodium falciparum clinical isolates |
| title_full_unstemmed | Gossypol is a natural product with good antimalarial activity against Plasmodium falciparum clinical isolates |
| title_short | Gossypol is a natural product with good antimalarial activity against Plasmodium falciparum clinical isolates |
| title_sort | gossypol is a natural product with good antimalarial activity against plasmodium falciparum clinical isolates |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-85643-6 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT jersleydchirawurah gossypolisanaturalproductwithgoodantimalarialactivityagainstplasmodiumfalciparumclinicalisolates AT felixansah gossypolisanaturalproductwithgoodantimalarialactivityagainstplasmodiumfalciparumclinicalisolates AT samuelblankson gossypolisanaturalproductwithgoodantimalarialactivityagainstplasmodiumfalciparumclinicalisolates AT bridgetadikah gossypolisanaturalproductwithgoodantimalarialactivityagainstplasmodiumfalciparumclinicalisolates AT silasnkansahyeboah gossypolisanaturalproductwithgoodantimalarialactivityagainstplasmodiumfalciparumclinicalisolates AT lucasamengaetego gossypolisanaturalproductwithgoodantimalarialactivityagainstplasmodiumfalciparumclinicalisolates AT gordonaawandare gossypolisanaturalproductwithgoodantimalarialactivityagainstplasmodiumfalciparumclinicalisolates AT yawaniweh gossypolisanaturalproductwithgoodantimalarialactivityagainstplasmodiumfalciparumclinicalisolates |