Quinine is an alkaloid antimalarial agent that has MIC values ranging from 10 to 500 nM for 60 Thai isolates of P. falciparum.1 It inhibits hemozoin formation in purified trophozoites, leading to an increase in free heme, similar to the mechanism of action of chloroquine .2 In mice, quinine reduces P. berghei parasite load in the blood with a minimum effective dose (MED) of 150 mg/kg.3 Formulations containing quinine have been used in the treatment of uncomplicated malaria.
1.Thaithong, S., Beale, G.H., and Chutmongkonkul, M.Susceptibility of Plasmodium falciparum to five drugs: An in vitro study of isolates mainly from ThailandTrans. R. Soc. Trop. Med. Hyg.77(2)228-231(1983) 2.Combrinck, J.M., Mabotha, T.E., Ncokazi, K.K., et al.Insights into the role of heme in the mechanism of action of antimalarialsACS Chem Biol.8(1)133-137(2013) 3.Thurston, J.P.The action of antimalarial drugs in mice infected with Plasmodium bergheiBr. J. Pharmacol. Chemother.5(3)409-416(1950)