Curcuma as a Parasiticidal Agent: A Review

 

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Abstract

Members of the Curcuma plant species (Zingiberaceae) have been used for centuries in cooking, cosmetics, staining and in traditional medicine as “omnipotent” remedies. Herbal preparations made with, and molecules extracted from, Curcuma have been shown to possess a wide variety of pharmacological properties against malignant proliferation, hormonal disorders, inflammation, and parasitosis among other conditions. This review evaluates Curcuma and its associated bioactive compounds, particularly focusing on studies examining the parasiticidal activity of these components against the tropical parasites Plasmodium, Leishmania, Trypanosoma, Schistosoma and more generally against other cosmopolitan parasites (nematodes, Babesia, Candida, Giardia, Coccidia and Sarcoptes).

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Dr. Mohamed Haddad

Université de Toulouse
UPS
UMR 152 (Laboratoire de Pharmacochimie des Substances Naturelles et Pharmacophores Redox)

118 Rte de Narbonne

31062 Toulouse Cedex 9

France

Phone: +33 5 62 25 68 69

Fax: +33 5 62 25 98 02

Email: mohamed.haddad@ird.fr