Abstract

JIMENEZ-ARELLANES, María Adelina; ALAMILLA-FONSECA, Lorena  and  GUTIERREZ-REBOLLEDO, Gabriel Alfonso. Mexican medicinal plants as source of active compounds against leishmaniasis. Rev. mex. cienc. farm [online]. 2014, vol.45, n.2, pp.19-30. ISSN 1870-0195.

Leishmaniasis is considered as an uncontrolled emerging disease and is endemic in 98 countries. Anually, is registered about 2 million cases of cutaneous, 500,000 cases of visceral-type and 60,000 persons die. In Mexico it is known as Chiclero's ulcer and is reported in 22 states. For its treatment, pentavalent antimonial drugs are administered, these drugs cause severe side effects are high cost and drug resistance cases have been reported. One alternative to currently available drugs is the search for active molecules in medicinal plants, dihydrocorynantheine, corynantheine and corynantheidine were active against Leishmania major; harmane, pleiocarpine, buchtienine, luteolin and quercetin are active against L. donovani. In Mexico has been evaluated about 25 medicinal plants being the most active and most investigated Tridax procumbens, Lonchocarpus xuul and Pentalinon andrieuxii. From these plants have been isolated the active compounds with IC₅₀ <30 µg/mL.

Keywords : Medicinal plants; leishmaniasis; active natural compounds.

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