Antimetabolites of Coenzyme Q. Their Potential Application as Antimalarials

Malaria is transmitted to man by the bite of the female Anopheles mosquito, man acting as the intermediate host, and the mosquito as the definitive host for the plasmodia. Plasmodia are found to have become resistant to certain chemotherapeutic agents. A new fundamental approach to malaria chemotherapy is based on the biochemical rationale of inhibition of the electron transfer mechanism in the metabolism of plasmodia by antimetabolites of coenzyme Q, which is essential for electron transfer. Coenzyme Q refers to 2,3‐dimethoxy‐5‐methyl‐1,4‐benzoquinones with isoprenoid chains of varying length on C‐6. In this progress report a series of synthetic antimetabolites are presented together with a discussion of their action in current pharmacological tests.