Protease inhibitor activity of plant natural products as leishmanicine agents / Atividade de inibidores de proteases de produtos naturais contra agentes leishmanicidas

Abstract

Objective: Investigate plant natural products with inhibitory activity of Leishmania proteases, because the inhibition of certain proteases induce the parasite death. Methods: Descriptive/exploratory study, integrative review type. The search was performed in the following databases: Scientific Electronic Library OnLine (SciELO), Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System Online (MEDLINE), Latin American and Caribbean Health Science Literature Database (LILACS) and PUBMED. The descriptors were used in combination, from the consultation in the Descriptors in Health Sciences (DECS) and Medical Subject Headings (MeSH), were: (Leishmania) AND (Protease Inhibitor) AND (Vegetable extracts); (Leishmania) AND (Protease Inhibitor) AND (Plant Extracts). Studies in English and Portuguese, published between 2000 and 2020, were included. Finally, the articles were categorized and analyzed. Results and discussion: This review included eight studies, published between 2000 and 2020. There were two publications in 2014, 2017 and 2019, in relation to the language, all eight studies were published in English. Five studies were carried out in India, two in Brazil and one in Iran. Seven of these were found in PUBMED database and one from MEDLINE, all were experimental, comprising in vitro research or using mice as animal models. Conclusions: It was noted that they use similar protocols for the isolation of protease inhibitor from plant species (affinity chromatography) and proteases from Leishmania sp. (cell lysis and protein precipitation and affinity chromatography). However, research involving Leishmania protease inhibitors are still scarce, requiring further studies on the subject, since the understanding of the functioning of these molecules has much to contribute to the development of new therapeutic targets.