indication

For the treatment of malaria. Also under investigation for the modulation of multidrug resistance in cancer cells.

pharmacology

Voacamine is an anti-malarial extracted from the Brazilian tree Peschiera fuchsiaefolia. In one study (PMID: 11180519), the in vivo antiplasmodial activity of voacamine was assessed in a 4-day test. It was shown to exhibit in vivo activity with 25.4% and 43.4% inhibition of parasitaemia with 2.5 and 10 mg/kg, respectively. In synchronized cultures, it was found to act on trophozoite and schizont stages of Plasmodium falciparum. Voacamine is a bisindolic alkaloid under investigation for modulation of multidrug resistance to enhance anticancer drugs such as doxorubicin.

mechanism of action

Voacamine is possibly a substrate for P-glycoprotein (P-gp), an efflux pump responsible for multidrug resistance in tumor cells. Voacamine may compete with anticancer drugs such as doxorubicin for P-gp transport, decreasing removal of doxorubicin.