The Effect of Cis-2-(1H-imidazole-2-yl)-1H-imidazole Dichloro Platinum (II) on the in-vitro Formation of β-Hematin

This study aimed at assessing the effect of two Cis-Dichloro Platinum complexes on the in-vitro formation of the Malaria pigment. According to World Health Organization, death rates of Malaria decreased by 20%, even with this decrease Malaria is still considered to be the leading killer in Africa. Reports show nearly 90% of children die before they have the chance to reach their fifth year. Plasmodium; the Malaria parasite, forms during its intra-erythrocytic stage a pigment called Hemozoin. This pigment acts as a protection shield against oxygen radical-mediated stress that leads to the death of the parasite. Many drugs targeting the formation of this pigment are still effective such as Chloroquine and Amodaquine, but recently strains of Plasmodium have gained resistance to such drugs. As an attempt to find new anti-malarial drugs , the potential inhibitory effect of Cis-Dichloro Platinum complexes such as Cis- 2-(1H-imidazol-2-yl)-1H-imidazole Dichloro Platinum (II) and Cis-1-methyl-2-(1-methyl-1H-imidazole-2-yl)-1H-imidazole Dichloro Platinum (II) on Ferriprotoporphyrin IX (FP) biomineralisation was examined. A previously self-developed quantitative in vitro method was used to detect the efficiency of these two complexes. Results showed that the efficiency of Cis- 2-(1H-imidazol-2-yl)-1H-imidazole Dichloro Platinum (II) and Cis-1-methyl-2-(1-methyl-1H-imidazole-2- yl)-1H-imidazole Dichloro Platinum (II) in preventing the formation of β-Hematin were 69.4 and 45%, respectively. The efficiency of Chloroquine as a standard drug using the same method was reported to give 95.9%.