is striking is the paucity of dynein in comparison to the extremely strong signal apparent in late merogony and free merozoites. This suggests that dynein has a role to play in constructing the sporozoit and merozoit, or the invasion process, or both.( Prager-Khoutorsky, et al, 2007). Microtubules were also found in Plasmodium berghei sporozoites. The microtubules on the cell walls of Plasmodium berghei sporozoites are extended at the luminal side by an additional 3 nm in comparison to the microtubules of mammalian cells( de Souza and Attias, 2010).
3.2.2 Allicin Blocks Cell Division by Preventing Spindle Formation of Microtubule in Plasmodium falciparum
Research showed the relationship of allicin administration on the mechanisms of mitosis in NIH-3T3 cells( Prager-Khoutorsky, et al 2007). Allicin-treated cells didn’ t complete division during the 12-h observation period. The majority of these cells remained rounded in shape; formation of irregular transient pseudo-cleavage furrows was sometimes seen. The drug-treated fibroblasts were subjected to fluorescence staining, in order to visualize chromosomes( with DAPI), the mitotic spindle( with a-tubulin antibody), and centrosomes( with g-tubulin antibody). Examination of the resulting images indicated in both allicin treated cells, mitotic spindles were not formed, and chromosomes not only failed to organize into metaphase plates, but also appeared more condensed than those of control cells. Taken together, these results demonstrate that, within the context of its role as a microtubule-disrupting drug, allicin produces mitotic arrest.
3.2.3 Allicin inhibits sporozoite invasion
Figure 4. Allicin inhibits sporozoite invasion of host cells( Coppi, et al, 2006).
Since allicin inhibited Microtubule and our previous studies showed that Microtubule is associated with cell invasion, we next disscused whether allicin would inhibit invasion of host cells. From Coppi, et al( 2006) experiment, Plasmodium berghei. sporozoites were pretreated with 10, 25, and 50 M allicin for 10 min, the allicin was diluted 12-fold, and then sporozoites plus the diluted allicin were added to cells. As shown in Figure 4, allicin inhibited sporozoite invasion of cells in a dose-dependent manner. Increased concentrations of Allicin is also accompanied by an inhibition of invasion of Plasmodium berghei.( Coppi, et al, 2006). This is most likely due to microtubulus which is inhibited by Allicin in the process of undergoing mitosis in Plasmodium