Current Applications of Plant-Based Drug Delivery Nano Systems for Leishmaniasis Treatment

Abstract

Leishmania is a trypanosomatid that causes leishmaniasis. It is transmitted to vertebrate hosts during the blood meal of phlebotomine sandflies. The clinical manifestations of the disease are associated with several factors, such as the Leishmania species, virulence and pathogenicity, the host–parasite relationship, and the host’s immune system. Although its causative agents have been known and studied for decades, there have been few advances in the chemotherapy of leishmaniasis. The urgency of more selective and less toxic alternatives for the treatment of leishmaniasis leads to research focused on the study of new pharmaceuticals, improvement of existing drugs, and new routes of drug administration. Natural resources of plant origin are promising sources of bioactive substances, and the use of ethnopharmacology and folk medicine leads to interest in studying new medications from phytocomplexes. However, the intrinsic low water solubility of plant derivatives is an obstacle to developing a therapeutic product. Nanotechnology could help overcome these obstacles by improving the availability of common substances in water. To contribute to this scenario, this article provides a review of nanocarriers developed for delivering plant-extracted compounds to treat clinical forms of leishmaniasis and critically analyzing them and pointing out the future perspectives for their application.

Chemical Characterization and Leishmanicidal Activity In Vitro and In Silico of Natural Products Obtained from Leaves of Vernonanthura brasiliana (L.) H. Rob (Asteraceae)

“…The synergism of isolated products can be effective for the development of new chemotherapeutics combined with natural compounds [ 62 , 63 ]. Moreover, the incorporation of natural products and conventional drugs into nanoformulations opens a new avenue for antileishmanial therapy [ 64 , 65 , 66 ].…”

Brazilian Amazon Red Propolis: Leishmanicidal Activity and Chemical Composition of a New Variety of Red Propolis

“…Inhibition of L. donovani promastigotes was observed for biochanin A with an IC 50 of 2.5 μg/mL [ 44 ]. Among the possible mechanisms of the leishmanicidal action of flavonoids are the inhibition of arginase and the ability to chelate iron ions, reducing the availability of ribonucleotide reductase [ 45 ].…”