Potencial tricomonicida de produtos de origem vegetal: uma revisão sistemática

Abstract

Trichomonas vaginalis, a flagellated protozoan, is the etiological agent of trichomoniasis in humans, being considered the most common sexually transmitted infection (STI) in the world. The treatment of this disease is carried out by drugs from the 5-nitroimidazole family, which constitutes the only class of drugs currently used to control this infection. However, recent reports indicate an increase in the prevalence of infections resistant to these drugs, motivating the conduct of studies in search of therapeutic alternatives. In this context, essential oils and plant extracts have shown to be a potential source of active principles. The objective of this research was to carry out a systematic review of published studies that investigate the use of essential oils and plant extracts in In vitro and In vivo tests to combat T. vaginalis. For this review, information was collected on bibliographic aspects, experimental characteristics, results, and type of assay. The search resulted in 164 articles in the databases, of which 44 were selected for analysis, published in the period from 2000 to 2023. This review highlighted In vivo studies and a predominance of effective species belonging to the Lamicaceae family, in addition, there was a higher rate of publications in the Asian region. Future research should focus on the clinical efficacy of these natural products, especially considering the scarcity of In vivo studies, the pathogenicity of trichomoniasis, and the difficulties of treatment reinforce the need for more research.