Prophylactically at a fraction of the therapeutical dose, almost completely prevented the occurrence of gametocytes. Similarly, plasmoquine chemoprophylaxis taken twice a week yielded a substantial reduction of infected mosquitos in rubber plantation camps in Liberia in 1931 which was attributed to the drug’s impact on gametocyte carriage. Eventually, the potential of plasmoquine to interrupt transmission was recognized and recommended for this purpose. The successor of plasmoquine, and structurally closely related, is primaquine. Primaquine not only is the drug of choice to eliminate hypnozoites in vivax or ovale malaria. Also, in experimental infections, the drug distinctly reduced the number of circulating gametocytes and sterilised those remaining. In a recent trial in Tanzania, single dose primaquine given on the third day of treatment with sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine plus AS reduced gametocyte carriage by more than 80% as compared to SP-AS alone. However, asexual blood stages of P. falciparum are not affected by therapeutical doses of primaquine, and a reduced gametocytocidal activity has been reported from India. It might be premature to consider MB as an alternative to primaquine as an adjunct to P. falciparum treatment, intended to block post-treatment transmission. Yet, MB shows promising features in this regard including strong activity against asexual parasites, developing and mature gametocytes, as well as synergism with artemisinine derivatives. Possibly, and in analogy to plasmoquine, MB exerts its gametocytocidal effects at dosages below those used in treatment which might be beneficial in terms of dosing and tolerability. Taken together, these features warrant further Labetalol hydrochloride investigations of MB as a partner compound in ACT and nonACT combinations as well as in blocking transmission. In this regard, studies on the infectivity of gametocytes from MB-treated individuals are needed. In summary, this study provides evidence that suggests a high efficacy of MB-based combination therapy against P. falciparum gametocytes. A combination of MB with an artemisinin derivate may thus maximise the gametocytocidal effects of the latter. These findings add to already existing in vitro and in vivo evidence of a synergy between MB and artemisinins. If such findings would be confirmed in larger studies and considering the impending advent of artemisinin resistance, including MB in ACT schemes would be an interesting option to improve treatment efficacy, prevent the development of resistance, and to reduce the transmission of P. falciparum parasites. Metabolic diseases, including insulin resistance, type 2-diabetes, obesity, hypertension and cardiovascular diseases are spreading worldwide, in a context of plethoric access to high energy-low fiber diets and limited physical activity. Various tissues and organs are involved in these diseases. However, the intestine seems to play a pivotal role due to high fat -mediated increase in permeability to bacterial lipopolysaccharide and LPSinduced metabolic inflammation. The gut microbiota, the composition of which is sensitive to the diet appears crucial. Even single bacteria may control both intestinal and systemic Ergosterol outcomes as verified in mice. The microbiota is now recognized as a vector of host development with respect to anatomy, physiology and metabolism. In particular, neonatal bacterial colonization has been shown to impact gut angiogenesis, villus-crypt architecture, epithelial proliferation and apoptosis, and permeability.