New Alternatives of Treatment Against Intestinal Parasite Infection

Abstract

Intestinal parasite infections, caused by intestinal helminths and protozoan parasites, are prevalent diseases worldwide mainly transmitted through the fecal-oral route. The prevalence rates are higher in low socioeconomic regions and developing countries with poor hygiene and sanitation. These pathogens also cause significant morbidity and mortality in some countries. The search for more safe and efficient drugs is important because standard or first-choice treatments against these parasitosis have begun to fail. This chapter starts with an introduction to different types of intestinal parasites, their importance, prevalence, and first-choice treatment, and also includes new strategies to identify molecular targets for rational drug design. In this sense, in silico and molecular approaches enhance efficiency and reduce cost and time for drug development. The use of methodologies like drug repurposing and molecular docking results in the discovery of heterologous antiparasitic molecules. Compounds identified in medicinal plants, agricultural and agro-industrial residues, natural products extracts, and essential oils have also been tested against intestinal parasites. Due to their heterogeneity, they could be a mixture, or isolated; purified, and semisynthetic molecules, including peptides, antibodies, and other metabolites that have been emerging as potential antiparasitic molecules. After the exploration of these sources, the optimization of new candidates using nanotechnology, or a combination of several approaches conduces to a generation of functionalized compounds for therapeutic and prophylactic antiparasitic uses. Throughout this chapter, a compilation of studies with promising results for the treatment of intestinal parasitic infections has been made. Some of these molecules have shown greater effectiveness than reference drugs or are used as adjuvants; the study of these treatment arsenal will be helpful to propose their use in the future.