Medicinal Plants as a Source of Antiplasmodial Compounds

Abstract

Infectious diseases caused by bacteria, fungi, viruses and parasites are a major threat to public health, despite great progress in therapy. The impact of infectious diseases is especially important in developing countries, where drugs are limited and the emergence of widespread drug resistance is a reality.1 Malaria is a major parasitic disease in the tropical and subtropical regions of the world. It is responsible for over 1 million deaths per year and approximately 3.2 billion people are presently at risk in several countries.2 An example is Mozambique, one of the ten most affected nations. In this country, malaria is the most common disease and the primary cause of morbidity and mortality. To a large majority of people in Mozambique, the treatment is mainly based on traditional medicine. In fact, from Mozambique’s approximately 5500 plant species, up to 10 percent have been identified as being used to treat parasitic diseases such as malaria or its symptoms.3 However, few phytochemical studies have yet been published. The aim of this study was to carry out a scientific evaluation of the claimed antimalarial properties of plants used in traditional medicine against malaria and fever, in order to validate their use and to determine their potential as new sources of antimalarial drugs.