Seaweed clue to fighting malaria

A tropical seaweed may provide scientists with a new weapon against malaria, research has shown.

Chemical compounds used by the seaweed to ward off fungal attacks have shown promising activity against the malaria parasite in the laboratory.

Researchers now hope to test the most effective compound in mice.

They are also trying to synthesise a more potent artificial version of the chemical.

New drugs are urgently needed to combat the malaria parasite, which has developed resistance to most available treatments.

Each year malaria kills around one million people around the world, mostly in poorer regions such as sub-Saharan Africa.

The anti-fungal compounds were found on the surface of Callophycus serratus, a seaweed found in waters off the Fiji islands.

Scientists spoke about the research at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in Washington DC.

Study leader Dr Julia Kubanek, from the Georgia Institute of Technology, said: “The language of chemistry in the natural world has been around for billions of years, and it is crucial for the survival of these species. We can co-opt these chemical processes for human benefit in the form of new treatments for diseases that affect us.”