Indonesian Journal of Chemistry
Vol 25, No 4 (2025)

In Silico Study of Alkaloid Compounds from Sida rhombifolia (Sidaguri) as Antimalarial Agents Targeting Plasmodium falciparum Dihydrofolate Reductase

Arfansyah, Arfansyah (Unknown)
Sepyana, Anisa (Unknown)
Bahrun, Bahrun (Unknown)
Artasasta, Muh Ade (Unknown)
Rasyid, Herlina (Unknown)



Article Info

Publish Date
31 Jul 2025

Abstract

Malaria, caused by the Plasmodium parasite, represents a significant global health challenge, with approximately 229 million cases reported in 2020. Current treatments include artemisinin-based combination therapy; however, drug resistance poses serious issues. Natural products, including alkaloids from Sida rhombifolia, particularly cryptolepine, effectively inhibit Plasmodium falciparum through DNA intercalation. Research indicates that mutations in the PfDHFR enzyme of P. falciparum contribute to drug resistance, highlighting the urgent need for new inhibitors. A literature review combined with SwissADME, toxicology predictions, and molecular docking methods identified 11-cryptolepine carboxylic acid (B1) and N-trans-feruloyl tyramine (B11) as potential new inhibitors. The compounds exhibited binding energies of −7.22 and −8.41 kcal/mol, which are close to the native ligand (−7.31 kcal/mol). Additionally, they demonstrate favorable drug-likeness properties, indicating their potential as viable candidates for drug development. The molecular dynamics simulation for 100 ns was conducted to observe molecular interactions in a specific system dynamically. It was found that ligand B1 has better stability compared to ligand B11. This compound demonstrates significant potential for advancing malaria treatment strategies. Further research and clinical evaluation are warranted to fully realize their potential and translate these findings into effective clinical interventions for combating malaria globally.

Copyrights © 2025






Journal Info

Abbrev

ijc

Publisher

Subject

Chemical Engineering, Chemistry & Bioengineering Chemistry

Description

Indonesian Journal of Chemistry is an International, peer-reviewed, open access journal that publishes original research articles, review articles, as well as short communication in all areas of chemistry including applied chemistry. The journal is accredited by The Ministry of Research, Technology ...