Medicinal Plants: A Source of Anti-Parasitic Secondary Metabolites

This review summarizes human infections caused by endoparasites, including protozoa, nematodes, trematodes, and cestodes, which affect more than 30% of the human population, and medicinal plants of potential use in their treatment. Because vaccinations do not work in most instances and the parasites...

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Main Author: Michael Wink
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2012-10-01
Series:Molecules
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/17/11/12771
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author Michael Wink
author_facet Michael Wink
author_sort Michael Wink
collection DOAJ
description This review summarizes human infections caused by endoparasites, including protozoa, nematodes, trematodes, and cestodes, which affect more than 30% of the human population, and medicinal plants of potential use in their treatment. Because vaccinations do not work in most instances and the parasites have sometimes become resistant to the available synthetic therapeutics, it is important to search for alternative sources of anti-parasitic drugs. Plants produce a high diversity of secondary metabolites with interesting biological activities, such as cytotoxic, anti-parasitic and anti-microbial properties. These drugs often interfere with central targets in parasites, such as DNA (intercalation, alkylation), membrane integrity, microtubules and neuronal signal transduction. Plant extracts and isolated secondary metabolites which can inhibit protozoan parasites, such as Plasmodium, Trypanosoma, Leishmania, Trichomonas and intestinal worms are discussed. The identified plants and compounds offer a chance to develop new drugs against parasitic diseases. Most of them need to be tested in more detail, especially in animal models and if successful, in clinical trials.
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spelling doaj.art-cdb8d9b934ca4f2594caa4c164f47ad42022-12-21T17:16:30ZengMDPI AGMolecules1420-30492012-10-011711127711279110.3390/molecules171112771Medicinal Plants: A Source of Anti-Parasitic Secondary MetabolitesMichael WinkThis review summarizes human infections caused by endoparasites, including protozoa, nematodes, trematodes, and cestodes, which affect more than 30% of the human population, and medicinal plants of potential use in their treatment. Because vaccinations do not work in most instances and the parasites have sometimes become resistant to the available synthetic therapeutics, it is important to search for alternative sources of anti-parasitic drugs. Plants produce a high diversity of secondary metabolites with interesting biological activities, such as cytotoxic, anti-parasitic and anti-microbial properties. These drugs often interfere with central targets in parasites, such as DNA (intercalation, alkylation), membrane integrity, microtubules and neuronal signal transduction. Plant extracts and isolated secondary metabolites which can inhibit protozoan parasites, such as Plasmodium, Trypanosoma, Leishmania, Trichomonas and intestinal worms are discussed. The identified plants and compounds offer a chance to develop new drugs against parasitic diseases. Most of them need to be tested in more detail, especially in animal models and if successful, in clinical trials.http://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/17/11/12771protozoaparasitesmedicinal plantssecondary metabolitesmolecular targets
spellingShingle Michael Wink
Medicinal Plants: A Source of Anti-Parasitic Secondary Metabolites
Molecules
protozoa
parasites
medicinal plants
secondary metabolites
molecular targets
title Medicinal Plants: A Source of Anti-Parasitic Secondary Metabolites
title_full Medicinal Plants: A Source of Anti-Parasitic Secondary Metabolites
title_fullStr Medicinal Plants: A Source of Anti-Parasitic Secondary Metabolites
title_full_unstemmed Medicinal Plants: A Source of Anti-Parasitic Secondary Metabolites
title_short Medicinal Plants: A Source of Anti-Parasitic Secondary Metabolites
title_sort medicinal plants a source of anti parasitic secondary metabolites
topic protozoa
parasites
medicinal plants
secondary metabolites
molecular targets
url http://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/17/11/12771
work_keys_str_mv AT michaelwink medicinalplantsasourceofantiparasiticsecondarymetabolites