Insights into the Relation between Oxidative Stress and Malaria: A Mechanistic and Therapeutic Approach

Authors

  • Abhijit Sarkar GLA University, 17Km Stone, NH-2, Mathura-Delhi Road, Mathura-281406, P.O. Chaumuhan Uttar Pradesh, India
  • Swarnendu Basak Department of Biological Science and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur, India
  • Sumit Ghosh Division of Molecular Medicine, Bose Institute, P-1/12, CIT Scheme VII M, Calcutta-700054, West Bengal, India
  • Sushweta Mahalanobish Division of Molecular Medicine, Bose Institute, P-1/12, CIT Scheme VII M, Calcutta-700054, West Bengal, India
  • Parames C. Sil Division of Molecular Medicine, Bose Institute, P-1/12, CIT Scheme VII M, Calcutta-700054, West Bengal, India

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.20455/ros.2021.m.805

Keywords:

Antioxidant; Malaria; Oxidative stress; Plasmodium; Sporozoite; Vector

Abstract

The mortality rate due to malaria has increased tremendously in the last decade. Even though the causative agent of this disease is known, the preventive measures are not potent enough to control the spread of this disease. Malarial infection involves a strong interrelationship between oxidative stress and pathogenesis. This review addresses the various oxidative stress-related mechanisms associated with vector defense, host immunity, plasmodial pathogenesis, and corresponding therapeutic strategies. The mechanisms involving host and vector defense show both similarity and contradiction to the processes involving plasmodial pathogenesis under different circumstances. Therefore, corresponding ameliorative peculiarities are observed in the therapeutic mechanisms adopted by the anti-malarial drugs. The malarial parasite augments oxidative stress to weaken the host and exerts antioxidant effects against host defense mechanisms. However, the anti-malarial drugs induce oxidative insult to reduce parasitic load and exert antioxidant effects against parasite infection-induced oxidative stress in host. Thus, the anti-malarial drugs exhibit antioxidant activity in hosts and/or pro-oxidant activity in parasites.

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Published

2021-11-21

How to Cite

Sarkar, A. ., Basak, S., Ghosh, S., Mahalanobish, S., & Sil, P. C. (2021). Insights into the Relation between Oxidative Stress and Malaria: A Mechanistic and Therapeutic Approach. Reactive Oxygen Species, 11, m26–m41. https://doi.org/10.20455/ros.2021.m.805