1,2-Diphenoxiethane salts as potent antiplasmodial agents

In this article we present a series of non-cytotoxic potent human choline kinase (CK) inhibitors that exhibit nanomolar antiplasmodial activity in vitro. The most active antiplasmodial compounds, 10a-b, bearing a pyridinium cationic head were inactive against CK, while compounds 10g and 10j with a quinolinium moiety exhibit moderate inhibition of both the parasite and the enzyme. The results point towards an additional mechanism of action unrelated to CK inhibition that remains to be established.This work was funded by the University of Granada, Cei-Biotic Project CEI2013-MP-1; the Junta de Andalucia (BIO-199); the Plan Nacional de Investigacion Cientifica, Instituto de Salud Carlos III-Subdireccion General de Redes y Centros de Investigacion Cooperativa-Red de Investigacion Cooperativa en Enfermedades Tropicales (RICET: RD16/0027/0014); and the Plan Nacional (SAF2016-79957-R).Peer reviewe