Quinone analogues: a drug of choice for the control of filariasis.

Human filariasis is caused by Wuchereria bancrofti, Brugia malayi and B. timori. Of the several recommended model filarial parasites by WHO, Setaria digitata a bovine one has characteristics such as cyanide insensitivity, lack of detectable cytochromes, presence of two quinones Q8 and Q6. Of the two quinones Q8 seems to have a predominant role in energy production. In vitro inhibitory studies using quinone analogues, coenzyme Q0 and menadione have shown that these compounds paralyse the worms in very low concentrations compared to diethyl carbamazine, the drug of choice for filariasis. The mitochondrial energy production associated with electron transfer is intercepted by quinone analogues. Hence for the treatment of filariasis, this study paves a chemotherapeutic target for the design of drugs which can control the parasites by interacting at the subcellular level by energy depletion.