In Vitro and in Vivo Antimalarial Activity of Linolenic and Linoleic Acids and their Methyl Esters

Essential fatty acids (EFA) are a group of unsaturated fatty acids which are not produced in humans, but are necessary for the proper functioning of the human body. It is mostly found in vegetable oils, seeds and nuts. They have shown diverse medicinal properties and potential beneficial effects on diseases such as cancer, insulin resistance, skin permeability, cardiovascular disease and depression. Fatty acids have the potential to inhibit the fatty acid biosynthetic machinery of Plasmodium falciparum parasite. In the present work, in vitro antiplasmodial activity of linoleic and linolenic acids using PLDH assay, against D10 and Dd2 strains of the parasite was <10 μg/ml. Linolenic and linoleic acids inhibited parasites growth by 70% and 64% respectively, against P.berghei using the 4-day suppressive test. The two compounds when used in combination inhibited the parasites by 96% on day 4 of treatment. No significant difference was observed between the free acids and their methyl esters.