Abstract

Owing to the emergence of drug resistance and the lack of effective vaccines, malaria continues to seriously harm the physical and mental health of a multitude of individuals, warranting the need to explore new antimalarial strategies. In this study, we developed allicin-based biomimetic nanoparticles of the erythrocyte membrane (PECm-Allicin@LM) through a sonication method for the delivery of lumefantrine (LM), a hydrophobic antimalarial drug. PECm-Allicin@LM showed regular spherical morphology with a mean diameter of 120 nm and retained most of the major proteins on the erythrocyte membrane. PECm-Allicin@LM was stable and sustained the release of LM. Flow cytometry analysis showed that PECm-Allicin@LM could deliver LM to Plasmodium-infected erythrocytes to kill the parasite. The nanoparticles, disguised as erythrocytes, could trap merozoites and competitively inhibit them from repeatedly infecting normal erythrocytes. Allicin in the nanoparticles not only dissolved LM but also disrupted the mitochondrial function of malaria parasites, working together to combat malaria and improve the immune dysfunction caused by malaria. Giemsa staining was performed to determine the infection rate in PbANKA-infected mice. In Plasmodium berghei ANKA strain-infected ICR mice, PECm-Allicin@LM significantly reduced infection rates, prolonged survival time, and attenuated Plasmodium-induced weight loss, anemia, and organ injury. Overall, these nanoparticles combine the advantages offered by the erythrocyte membrane, allicin, and LM to effectively combat malaria, representing a new antimalarial strategy targeting multiple pathways.