Fluorometric determination of antimalarial efficacy of artemisinin and artemether against Plasmodium falciparum in vitro

A technique for assessment of the growth of Plasmodium fatciparum in vitro by fluorometry was applied to evaluate the anti-malarial efficacy of artcmisinin, artemether and chloroquine. After cultivation in various concentrations of the above drugs for 4O h, parasitized rbc were harvested, lysed, stained with ethidium bromide, solubilized with SDS, and measured by a fluorescence spectrophotometer. The IC50 of the 3 drugs determined by fluoroassay were closely relatcd with those derived by visual counting of schizont-infected rbc in thin blood films under microscope. The currently used methods can be supplemented by this new technique with the following advantages; 1) more objective reading or the results than parasite-counting under microscope, 2) simpler and safer procedure than radiometric assay.