Resveratrol May Help Treat Malaria

ATLANTAResveratrol, a key antioxidant found in chocolate and red wine, may help fight severe malaria that kills an estimated 1 million people each year, according to a study presented Nov. 4 at the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (ASTMH)'s 59th annual meeting.

A new National Institutes of Health (NIH) study suggests that treatment of parasite-infected red blood cells with resveratrol significantly reduces their ability to adhere to the body's cells lining small blood vessels. That reduction in binding to blood vessels is predicted to greatly lessen the probability of developing severe clinical manifestations of malaria, according to the study. The study suggests resveratrol, which is commercially available, can be used in combination with antimalarial chemotherapy to improve the survival chances of people with severe malaria.