In vitro antiplasmodial activity of marine sponge Clathria vulpina extract against chloroquine sensitive Plasmodium falciparum

Malaria is an infectious disease caused by the genus Plasmodium such as Plasmodium falciparum (P. falciparum), Plasmodium ovale, Plasmodium vivax and Plasmodium malariae. Among them, P. falciparum is the parasite responsible for most severe diseases and fatal cases, which may kill over one millions of people per annum. The parasite, P. falciparum is genetically diverse and has multiple independent origins of mutations in genes that confer resistance to widely used antimalarial drugs like chloroquine[1]. A major breakthrough of the past decades is the discovery of artemisinin by Chinese researchers. Artemisinin combination treatments for P. falciparum are currently used only first line antimalarial drugs ameanable to widespread use against all chloroquinone resistant malarial parasites. However, artemisinin resistant strains were recently found in Cambodia[2]. So, there is an urgent need for the new antimalarial drugs. Living organisms are recognized as a source of potential bioactive molecules PEER REVIEW ABSTRACT