Antiparasitic potential of asteraceae plants: A comprehensive review on therapeutic and mechanistic aspects for biocompatible drug discovery

Abstract

Background: Medicinal herbs are used to cure parasitic protozoan diseases. Protozoan parasites continue difficult to treat, but diverse extracts from both terrestrial and aquatic plants have been shown to provide a variety of medical benefits for people's personal health. One of the main issues in the management of health and disease is the absence of treatment resistance in parasites. It affects millions of people's health globally, poses a threat to get worse, and threatens to cause financial losses. Drug resistance in parasites is progressively complex and challenging the treatment of parasitic disorders, which is disappointing because it does not receive serious consideration from every part of society. Methods: In this regard, our focus has been on examining the antiparasitic plants of the Asteraceae family and their potential use in the management of protozoan parasites. Results: This review is divided into a i) analysis of traditional parasite treatments using Asteraceae plants (ii) an overview of the major chemical classes found in Asteraceae and their effects on parasites; (iii) with special focus on flavonoids, terpenoids, and alkaloids, antiparasitic properties. In-depth information on isolated bioactive compounds that can inhibit protozoan parasites such Plasmodium, Leishmania, Trypanosoma, Entamoeba, and Toxoplasma is provided in this study. It also includes information on Asteraceae plant extracts that have been reported around the globe. Conclusion: These medicinal plants can be further studied to determine whether they have the potential to be turned into novel pharmaceuticals or utilised as a medicinal plant to treat a variety of protozoan diseases.

Keywords

• Asteraceae
• Compounds
• Parasites
• Plasmodium
• Trypanosoma
• Leishmania