O uso de compostos naturais de origem vegetal no tratamento da leishmaniose tegumentar: uma análise bibliográfica

Abstract

Tegumentary leishmaniasis (TL) is a neglected disease caused by protozoa of the Leishmania genus, found all over the world. The drugs used to treat this disease cause adverse effects in infected individuals and, as a result, there are difficulties in continuing the therapy. However, plants show themselves as alternatives for the effective treatment of leishmaniasis. Thus, the objective of this study was to carry out a bibliographic analysis in order to analyze the natural compounds of plant origin reported in the literature with potential use for the treatment of this parasitosis. To this end, research was carried out in scientific databases (academic Google, Science Direct, Scielo and Pubmed, Ministry of Health and Ceará Government) in search of publications describing the use and implications of natural compounds of plant origin and its biologically active molecules, excluding animal compounds, on a time scale of 18 years (2003-2021). In the period analyzed, 25 articles, 1 course conclusion work, 1 doctoral thesis and 1 master's dissertation were selected for analysis. Among these, the most studied natural compounds of plant origin were alkaloids, terpenes, oils and flavonoids, which showed leishmanicidal activity against amastigote and promastigote forms of Leishmania sp., with similar action mechanisms. Despite the reports, existing research still points to the need for more specific studies to better understand these mechanisms of action, for future application in the tegumentary leishmaniasis treatment.