Antimalarial ethnopharmacology in the Brazilian Amazon

Dionatas Ulises  Oliveira Meneguetti; Renildo Moura da Cunha; Renato Abreu  Lima; Flávio Augusto Souza Oliveira; Daniel Sol de Medeiros; Guilherme Matos Passarini; Patrícia Soares de Maria de Medeiros; Júlio Sancho Linhares Teixeira Militão; Valdir Alves Facundo

Dionatas Ulises Oliveira Meneguetti
Renildo Moura da Cunha
Renato Abreu Lima
Flávio Augusto Souza Oliveira
Daniel Sol de Medeiros
Guilherme Matos Passarini
Patrícia Soares de Maria de Medeiros
Júlio Sancho Linhares Teixeira Militão
Valdir Alves Facundo

Keywords: Plasmodium falciparum. Drug therapy. Ethnopharmacology

Abstract

The preoccupation to find new drugs for the treatment of malaria is increasing steadily due to the resistance of the parasite, which is a threat to disease control. The present study describes a literature review on the antimalarial ethnopharmacology (Anti-Plasmodium falciparum - in vitro) of the Brazilian Amazon plants. It was found a great diversity of plant species in the Brazilian Amazon with potential for research of new herbal and secondary metabolites with antiplasmodial action, in addition to treating other neglected parasitic diseases. However, for these studies is needed in addition to financial support, the interaction between different laboratories and research groups for the formation of multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary teams, which will enhance the research level in the region and increase the likelihood of new antimalarial drugs discovery.