Tests in mice showed the one-off treatment prevented infection for the full 30 days of the study.
The chemical compound fought early infection in the liver, as well as malaria parasites that were circulating in the blood.
The researchers hope their early work, published in the journal, Nature, could lead to new drugs for people.
Malaria is spread to humans by the bites of infected female mosquitoes and it is estimated that about half of the world's population is at risk of catching the disease.
