Characterization of the antiplasmodial activity of natural products isolated from fungal metabolites as lead candidates for Malaria

Abstract

Malaria has a great global impact due to its burden of mortality and morbidity, consequences for the socioeconomic development of communities and the health and productivity of populations living in endemic regions of the disease. The great structural diversity of natural products as well as their potent biological activities make them attractive molecules for the discovery and development of new drugs. Among the microorganisms, fungi of different origins have been widely explored as producers of substances with antimalarial activity. On the basis of the importance of the discovery of new antiplasmodial compounds, this project aims to identify and characterize new bioactive compounds isolated from fungal metabolites as lead candidates for the discovery of new antiMalarials. The compounds will be prospected from fungal strains and their antiplasmodial and cytotoxic activities will be assessed in standardized in vitro and in vivo assays. (AU)