Plant derived therapeutics for the treatment of Leishmaniasis.

Abstract

Diseases caused by insect borne trypanosomatid parasites are significant, yet remain a neglected public health problem. Leishmania, a unicellular protozoan parasite is the causative organism of Leishmaniasis and is transmitted by female phlebotamine sandflies affecting millions of people worldwide. In the wake of resistance to pentavalent antimonial drugs, new therapeutic alternatives are desirable. The plant kingdom has in the past provided several affordable compounds and this review aims to provide an overview of the current status of available leishmanicidal plant derived compounds that are effective singly or in combination with conventional anti-leishmanial drugs, yet are non toxic to mammalian host cells. Furthermore, delineation of the contributory biochemical mechanisms involved in mediating their effect would help develop new chemotherapeutic approaches.

• Authors: Rupashree Sen, Mitali Chatterjee
• Journal: Phytomedicine : international journal of phytotherapy and phytopharmacology (Phytomedicine) Vol. 18 Issue 12 Pg. 1056-69 (Sep 15 2011) ISSN: 1618-095X [Electronic] Germany
• PMID: 21596544 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't, Review)
• Copyright: Copyright © 2011 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

Chemical References

• Plant Extracts

Topics

• Animals
• Humans
• Leishmaniasis (drug therapy)
• Phytotherapy
• Plant Extracts (pharmacology, therapeutic use)