The alignment of the evolutionary history of parasites with that of plants provides a different panorama in the drug development process. The housing of different metabolic processes, essential for parasite survival, adds to the indispensability of the apicoplast. The different pathways responsible for fueling the apicoplast and parasite offer a myriad of proteins responsible for the apicoplast function. The studies emphasizing the target-based approaches might help in the discovery of antimalarials. The different putative drug targets and their roles are highlighted. In addition, the origin of the apicoplast and metabolic processes are reviewed and the different drugs acting upon the enzymes of the apicoplast are discussed.

寄生虫进化史与植物进化史的一致性为药物开发过程提供了不同的视角。寄生虫生存必不可少的不同代谢过程的存在，增加了apicoplast的不可缺少性。负责给apicoplast和寄生虫加油的不同途径提供了无数负责apicoplast功能的蛋白质。强调基于目标的方法的研究可能有助于发现抗疟​​药。突出显示了不同的假定药物靶标及其作用。此外，审查了apicoplast的起源和代谢过程，并讨论了作用于apicoplast酶的不同药物。