Antichagasic activity of komaroviquinone is due to generation of reactive oxygen species catalyzed by Trypanosoma cruzi old yellow enzyme.

A novel potent trypanocidal diterpene, komaroviquinone, was reduced by Trypanosoma cruzi old yellow enzyme (TcOYE) to its semiquinone radical. The reductase activity in trypanosome lysates was completely immunoabsorbed by anti-TcOYE antibody. Since TcOYE is expressed throughout the T. cruzi life cycle, komaroviquinone is an interesting candidate for developing new antichagasic drugs.