Analysis of the electrochemical reactivity of natural hemozoin and β-hemozoin in the presence of antimalarial drugs

Abstract

We report an evaluation of the reactivity of hemozoin (HZ) and β-hemozoin (β-HZ) obtained from the Triatoma Meccus longipennis, alone and in combination with quinine and amodiaquine. Using cyclic voltammetry and carbon paste electrodes, the redox processes that these compounds undergo were analysed. The results indicated that the atom Fe presence, the substance concentration, the drugs existence and the nature of the electrolytic medium are important in the redox processes. The strongest reactivity was for β-HZ from Triatoma, which suggests that cellular molecules are embedded in an oxidising environment due to the presence of β-HZ and indicates that like HZ, β-HZ could be associate with phospholipid bilayers and interfere with their physical and chemical integrity, contributing to membrane breakdown and hyper-oxidation of molecules. It was further observed that when measuring the reactivity of HZ and β-HZ with quinine and amodiaquine, a more oxidative stress was generated between the second one and the β-HZ, which could explain the effectiveness of amodiaquine as a better antimalarial drug. Finally, it was concluded that electrochemical evaluation may be a convenient tool in determining the efficiency of antimalarial drugs and the identification of their redox processes.