Medicinal plants from the Brazilian Amazonian region and their antileishmanial activity: a review

Federal University of Pará. Institute of Biological Sciences. Laboratory of Parasitology and Laboratory of Structural Biology. Belém, PA, Brazil / National Institute of Science and Technology in Structural Biology and Bioimaging. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.Federal University of Pará. Institute of Biological Sciences. Laboratory of Parasitology and Laboratory of Structural Biology. Belém, PA, Brazil / National Institute of Science and Technology in Structural Biology and Bioimaging. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.Federal University of Pará. Institute of Biological Sciences. Laboratory of Parasitology and Laboratory of Structural Biology. Belém, PA, Brazil / National Institute of Science and Technology in Structural Biology and Bioimaging. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.National Institute of Science and Technology in Structural Biology and Bioimaging. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil / Ministério da Saúde. Secretaria de Vigilância em Saúde. Instituto Evandro Chagas. Laboratório de Microscopia Eletrônica. Ananindeua, PA, Brasil.Leishmaniasis, a neglected disease caused by Leishmania protozoans, primarily affects people in tropical and subtropical areas. Chemotherapy based on the use of pentavalent antimonials, amphotericin B, paromomycin, miltefosine and liposomal amphotericin B is currently the only effective treatment. However, adverse effects, long-term treatment and the emergence of parasite resistance have led to the search for alternative treatments. Natural products used in traditional medicine provide an unlimited source of molecules for the identification of new drugs, and the Amazon region has abundant biodiversity that includes several species of plants and animals, providing a rich source of new products and compounds. Although the literature describes numerous promising compounds and extracts for combating Leishmania protozoans, the results of such research have not been embraced by the pharmaceutical industry for the development of new drugs. Therefore, this review focused on the antileishmanial activity of extracts, isolated compounds and essential oils commonly used by the local population in the Brazilian Amazonian region to treat several illnesses and described in the literature as promising compounds for combating leishmaniasis