The Search for Drugs Derived from Natural Products for Toxoplasma gondii Infection Treatment in the Last 20 Years - A Systematic Review

Introduction: Toxoplasmosis is a worldwide distributed zoonosis caused by Toxo-plasma gondii (T. gondii), an obligate intracellular protozoan. The infection in immunocompetent hosts usually progresses with mild or no symptoms. However, in immunocompromised individu-als, this disease can cause severe or fatal symptoms. Method: Sulfadiazine and pyrimethamine are two drugs used as standard therapies for human toxoplasmosis. Although they do not cause chronic infection, they may cause hematological tox-icity, hypersensitivity, intolerance, teratogenic effects, gastrointestinal disorders, and bone mar-row suppression. Results: The limited effect, significant toxicity, and emerging resistance to current drugs availa-ble to treat T. gondii infections require investigating other effective, nontoxic, and well-tolerated alternatives. Medicinal plants are, traditionally, the most promising sources used to treat infec-tious diseases. Conclusion: This review provides data on new therapeutic and prophylactic methods for T. gondii infection based on the use of extracts and/or compounds derived from natural products, which have been reported to be useful as alternative treatment options in the last 20 years.