Novel Study On Antimalarials And To Develop New Drugs For Resistance Of Plasmodium Species

Abstract

Malaria is a major health problem and about half of the World population still at risk in 95 malaria endemic countries. Due to limited health facilities and high cost and unavailability of artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACTs), a fifth of malarial patients in these countries use traditional medicinal plant remedies. In current review, we have highlighted the antimalarials plants used in various societies across Pakistan. In Pakistan, a total of (77) species of (63) genera belonging to (35) families have been traditionally used for the treatment of malaria. Among these, several plants have been investigated phytochemically and pharmacologically across the globe for antiplasmodial activity and have shown a good antiplasmodial activity. In the other plants on chemotaxonomic basis, several plants need evaluation for antimalarial activity. In most of the ethnobotanical studies conducted across Pakistan, essential information about formulation, dosage, time and duration of use of remedies has not been documented. However, they can be investigated in order to claim their antimalarial potential. Although, these medicinal plants have been used over history for treatment of malaria but, evaluation of their pharmacological activities is essential in order to establish their mode of action, safety, quality, efficacy and to find novel antimalarials and to develop new drugs for resistance of Plasmodium species.