title: Plants as Antileishmanial Agents: Current Scenario.
abstract: Leishmaniasis is a clinical manifestation caused by the parasites of the genus Leishmania. Plants are reservoirs of bioactive compounds, which are known to be chemically balanced, effective and least injurious as compared with synthetic medicines. The current resistance and the toxic effects of the available drugs have brought the trend to assess the antileishmanial effect of various plant extracts and their purified compound/s, which are summarized in this review. Moreover, it also highlights various traditional remedies used by local healers against leishmaniasis. A systematic cross-sectional study for antileishmanial activity of natural products was carried out using multiple literature databases. The records retrieved since 2000 till year 2016 were analysed and summarized in the form of comprehensive tables and graphs. Natural products are potential source of new and selective agents that can significantly contribute to primary healthcare and probably are promising substitutes of chemicals for the treatment of protozoan diseases like leishmaniasis. Where the researchers prefer to use alcoholic solvents for the extraction of antileishmanial agents from plants, most of the studies are limited to in vitro conditions majorly on using promastigote forms of Leishmania. Thus, there is a need to carry out such activities in vivo and in host macrophages. Further, there is a need of mechanistic studies that can help taking few of the promising pure compounds to clinical level. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Chemical and Life Sciences, Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan, Mardan, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Nazif
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ullah
authors.affiliation: Sulaiman Bin Abdullah Aba Al Khail Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Basic Sciences (SA-CIRBS), International Islamic University, Islamabad, 44000, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Akhtar
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nadhman
authors.affiliation: Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Chemical and Life Sciences, Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan, Mardan, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Sumaira
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Siddiq
authors.affiliation: Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Chemical and Life Sciences, Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan, Mardan, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Shaila
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mehwish
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Immunopatologia, Núcleo de Pesquisa em Ciências Biológicas, (NUPEB), Programa de Pós-graduação em Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Ouro Preto, Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais, 35.400-000, Brazil.
authors.forename: Arshad
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Islam
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Sciences, Bahauddin Zakariya University, Multan, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Laila
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Jafri
authors.affiliation: Department of Botany, Faculty of Chemical and Life Sciences, Abdul Wali Khan University, Mardan, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Muhammad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hamayun
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000981:Antiprotozoal Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D001688:Biological Products / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007891:Leishmania / Q000187:drug effects*; D007896:Leishmaniasis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D000981:Antiprotozoal Agents; D001688:Biological Products; D010936:Plant Extracts
keywords: antileishmanial; leishmania; medicinal plants; natural products