Update on Brazilian essential oils with leishmanicidal activity

Leishmaniasis are neglected diseases caused by protozoan parasites and have been mainly related to climate change, poverty, malnutrition, and the vulnerability of the host's immune system. The current drug therapy has limitations, motivating research for new active substances. This review describes the leishmanicidal activity of essential oils, as well as their major compounds, extracted from native Brazilian plants. Forty-eight plant species, belonging to 16 families are included in this review, the most frequent being Piperaceae, Lauraceae, Asteraceae, Myrtaceae, and Verbenaceae. The studies included in this review show promising potential of plant species from different regions of Brazil against both amastigotes and promastigotes forms of Leishmania species, including Leishmania amazonensis, Leishmania chagasi, Leishmania braziliensis, Leishmania infantum, Leishmania donovani and Leishmania guyanensis. The essential oils from Croton cajucara Benth. (22.0 ng/mL), Tetradenia riparia (Hochst.) Codd. (30.0 ng/mL) and Aloysia gratissima (Gill et Hook) Tronc. (0.16 mu g/mL), were found to be most active against the amastigote forms. In addition, the essential oils from C. cajucara (8.3 ng/mL); Protium hebetatum Daly (0.46 mu g/mL), and T. riparia (0.8 mu g/mL), were responsible for the lowest concentrations capable of inhibiting the growth of promastigote forms. However, there is a need for these results to be confirmed in animal models. In this way, advances can be made in the exploration of these essential oils and their constituents as potential therapeutic agents. [GRAPHICS] .