ABSTRACT
Malaria infection is a major public health problem worldwide, caused by unicellular protozoan parasites of genus Plasmodium: P. falciparum, P. vivax, P. malariae, P. ovale, and P. knowlesi. Chloroquine was the first synthetic antimalarial agent, introduced in 1944 and became mainstay of therapy and prevention. This chapter reviews potential of newly synthesized compounds against plasmodial resistance for the prevention and treatment of malaria. The chemotherapy of malaria basically involves killing of the asexual parasites and providing supportive therapy to the host to boost its immune system. In order to develop new classes of antimalarial agents, the possibility of replacing the phenolic ring of amodiaquine, tebuquine, and isoquine with other kinds of aromatic nuclei was explored. Drug therapy faces major challenges due to development of parasite resistance to first line antimalarials and unavailability of a vaccine. This has stimulated a search of new natural and synthetic antimalarials to counteract resistance.
