New pentasubstituted pyrrole hybrid atorvastatin–quinoline derivatives with antiplasmodial activity

[Display omitted] Cerebral malaria is caused by Plasmodium falciparum. Atorvastatin (AVA) is a pentasubstituted pyrrole, which has been tested as an adjuvant in the treatment of cerebral malaria. Herein, a new class of hybrids of AVA and aminoquinolines (primaquine and chloroquine derivatives) has been synthesized. The quinolinic moiety was connected to the pentasubstituted pyrrole from AVA by a linker group (CH2)n=2–4 units. The activity of the compounds increased with the size of the carbons chain. Compound with n=4 and 7-chloroquinolinyl has displayed better activity (IC50=0.40μM) than chloroquine. The primaquine derivative showed IC50=1.41μM, being less toxic and more active than primaquine.