Common additive thwarts malaria parasite
By Nathan Seppa
An antimicrobial chemical used in mouthwashes has emerged in the unlikely role of malaria fighter. Experiments in mice show that this substance, triclosan, wipes out the parasite responsible for rodent malaria. In test-tube studies, the compound also kills the parasite responsible for most severe cases of malaria in people, scientists in India report.
The researchers found that triclosan binds to an enzyme called FabI in Plasmodium falciparum, the parasite infecting people. Without a supply of functional FabI, P. falciparum can’t make some fatty acids that are essential for its survival, says study coauthor Namita Surolia, a biochemist at the Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research in Bangalore.