Azaanthraquinone inhibits respiration and in vitro growth of long slender bloodstream forms of Trypanosoma congolense.

An ethanolic extract of Mitracarpus scaber was found to possess in vitro and in vivo trypanocidal activity against Trypanosoma congolense. At a dosage of 50 mg kg(-1) day(-1) in normal saline for 5 days, the extract cured Balbc mice infected with T. congolense without any relapse. The isolated active component benz(g)isoquinoline 5,10 dione (Azaanthraquinone) (AQ) purified from the extract was found to inhibit glucose-dependent cellular respiration and glycerol-3-phosphate-dependent mitochondrial O(2) assimilation of the long bloodstream forms of Trypanosoma congolense. On account of the pattern of inhibition, the target could be the mitochondrial electron transport system composed of glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase (G3PDH). The azaanthraquinone specifically inhibited the reduced coenzyme Q(1)-dependent O(2) uptake of the mitochondria with respect to ubiquinone. The susceptible site could be due to ubiquinone redox system which links the two enzyme activities. Copyright 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.