Medicinal Plants with Antifilarial Activity: A Review

Aim: Lymphatic filariasis is a significant global health issue. Their endemicity affects present-day subtropical regions, particularly those in Asia, Latin America, and Africa. Currently, the primary antifilarial medications used to control human filariasis are diethylcarbamazine (DEC), ivermectin, and albendazole. Diethylcarbamazine and ivermectin are microfilaricidal drugs, causing adverse reactions and resistance, prompting the search for safer and effective alternatives. The objective of this study is to review plants and isolated compounds with filaricidal activity.

Methodology: Several electronic databases, such as PubMed, Google Scholar, and Science Direct, were used to gather pertinent data on Lymphatic filariasis, medicinal plants, plant constituents, traditional uses of chosen medicinal plants, and some pure compound isolates of many chosen medicinal plants that have been shown to have filaricidal potencies using In vitro and In vivo models. Several plants, notably: Pongamia pinnata, Sphaeranthus indicus, Quisqualis indica and Terminalia bellerica showed activity against filarial infections at dose/ %inhibition of 250µg/mL, 1mg/ml, 34.50µg/mL and 27mg/ml respectively against adult parasitic stages.

Conclusion: The results suggest plants as a promising source for antifilarial agents. Further research is needed to establish their mechanisms of action, toxicities and clinical potentials. The leaves were primarily used for extraction due to easy accessibility. The Fabaceae family contains the most plants with anti-filarial activity.