title: Plants used in traditional medicine: extracts and secondary metabolites exhibiting antileishmanial activity.
abstract: Plants and their extracts have been used traditionally against different pathologies, and in some poor regions they are the only therapeutic source for treatments. Moreover, the identification of specific active secondary metabolites can be account for amelioration of clinical status of suffering individual. A series of ethnopharmacological surveys conducted in Brazil recorded the traditional use of plants against different pathologies and interestingly, some of them presented antileishmanial activity in vitro and in vivo, possibly due to their immunostimulatory, healing and microbicidal properties. Of note, Leishmania parasites can alter patient's immunological status, leading to the development of extensive skin and/or visceral alterations. Therefore, the extracts or secondary metabolites presented in plants that might be capable of improving the pathological conditions can be attractive candidates in the development of new chemotherapeuticals against leishmaniosis.
authors.forename: Luiz Felipe Domingues
authors.initials: LF
authors.lastname: Passero
authors.forename: Marcia D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Laurenti
authors.forename: Gabriela
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Santos-Gomes
authors.forename: Bruno Luiz
authors.initials: BL
authors.lastname: Soares Campos
authors.forename: Patricia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Sartorelli
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Patologia de Molestias Infecciosas (LIM50), Departamento de Patologia, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de Sao Paulo, Av. Dr. Arnaldo 455, 01246-903, Sao Paulo, Brazil. felipepassero@yahoo.com.br.
authors.forename: Joao Henrique G
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Lago
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000981:Antiprotozoal Agents / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001938:Brazil; D015195:Drug Design; D006801:Humans; D007896:Leishmaniasis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology / Q000469:parasitology; D008519:Medicine, Traditional / Q000379:methods; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D010946:Plants, Medicinal / Q000737:chemistry; D064210:Secondary Metabolism
chemical_list: D000981:Antiprotozoal Agents; D010936:Plant Extracts