Chapter 3
Mexican Medicinal Plants as an Alternative for the
Development of New Compounds Against Protozoan
Parasites
Esther Ramirez-Moreno, Jacqueline Soto-Sanchez,
Gildardo Rivera and Laurence A. Marchat
Additional information is available at the end of the chapter
http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/67259
Abstract
The protozoan parasites Plasmodium, Leishmania, Trypanosoma, Entamoeba histo-
lytica, Giardia lamblia, and Trichomonas vaginalis, cause high morbidity and mortality
in developed and developing countries. P. falciparum is responsible for malaria, one of
the most severe infectious diseases in Africa. Hundreds of million people are affected by
Trypanosoma and Leishmania that cause African and South American trypanosomiasis,
and leishmaniasis. E. histolytica and G. lamblia contribute to the enormous burden of
diarrheal diseases worldwide; trichomoniasis is the most common nonviral sexually
transmitted disease in the world. Because of the important side effects of current treat-
ments and the decrease in drug susceptibility, there is a renewed interest for the search
of therapeutic alternatives against these pathogens. Natural products obtained from
medicinal plants and their derivatives have been recognized for many years as a source
of therapeutic agents. There are numerous reports about medicinal plants that are used
by indigenous communities to treat gastrointestinal complaints. Importantly, phyto-
chemical studies have allowed the identification of several secondary metabolites with
anti-parasite activity. Our review revealed that Mexican medicinal plants have a great
potential for the identification of new molecules with activity against protozoan para-
sites of medical importance worldwide and their potential use as new therapeutic
compounds.Keywords:Plasmodium,Leishmania,Trypanosoma,Entamoeba,Giardia,Trichomonas,
Mexican medicinal plant