Journal
MARINE DRUGS
Volume 21, Issue 2, Pages -Publisher
MDPI
DOI: 10.3390/md21020066
Keywords
ethnomedicine; halophytes; helminthiases; parasitosis; salinization
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Parasitic diseases caused by protozoans and helminths are a major cause of morbidity and mortality, especially in tropical regions. Salt-tolerant plants (halophytes) have attracted attention for their medicinal properties, including antiparasitic effects.
Parasitic diseases, especially those caused by protozoans and helminths, such as malaria, trypanosomiasis, leishmaniasis, Chagas disease, schistosomiasis, onchocerciasis, and lymphatic filariasis, are the cause of millions of morbidities and deaths every year, mainly in tropical regions. Nature has always provided valuable antiparasitic agents, and efforts targeting the identification of antiparasitic drugs from plants have mainly focused on glycophytes. However, salt-tolerant plants (halophytes) have lately attracted the interest of the scientific community due to their medicinal assets, which include antiparasitic properties. This review paper gathers the most relevant information on antiparasitic properties of halophyte plants, targeting human uses. It includes an introduction section containing a summary of some of the most pertinent characteristics of halophytes, followed by information regarding the ethnomedicinal uses of several species towards human parasitic diseases. Then, information is provided related to the antiprotozoal and anthelmintic properties of halophytes, determined by in vitro and in vivo methods, and with the bioactive metabolites that may be related to such properties. Finally, a conclusion section is presented, addressing perspectives for the sustainable exploitation of selected species.
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