A Bird’s Eye View on Evaluation of Anti-Plasmodial Efficacy of Natural Products Isolated from Marine Sources

Malaria is one of the deadliest vectors of spreading diseases, which causes enormous health concerns in the tropical world, especially in sub-Saharan countries. Despite tremendous efforts around the globe, malaria is one of the leading causes of death in those areas. In addition, the appearance of resistance to the currently available drugs is making the situation more alarming, which highlights the urgency for continued research to stay prepared, and evaluation of natural products could be the best approach in this direction. In drug discovery, nature plays an important role. Most currently marketed drugs are either modified or non-modified or synthetic compounds with a natural product as a pharmacophore. Even in the case of antimalarial drugs, starting from the discovery of quinine to the currently utilized artemisinin, most of the effective antimalarial drugs are derived from terrestrial natural sources. However, although the ocean constitutes almost 75% of the Earth, the exploration and discovery of antimalarial drugs from marine sources are minimal. This comprehensive review assimilates antimalarial natural products from marine sources in recent times. Natural products from oceanic microbes and their plants, in particular, are regarded sources for the review.