Antimalarial chloroquine indicated for viral infections: myth ou hope?

Aim: this article describes the use of chloroquine as an antimalarial agent with potential antivirotic indications for COVID-19 infections. Methods: On line searches and gray literature have been used in the construction of this articles, whose database include PUBMED Central, BVS/BIREME, Web of Science, Science Direct, Higher Level Personnel Improvement Coordinator (CAPES), Periodic Door (Portal de Periódicos da CAPES, The Cochrane Library and PROSPERO). Results: chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine has shown appropriate clinical reports when associated with the antibiotic Azithromycin. It has been authorized for the clinical treatment of grave acute forms of COVID infections by countries like Brazil and USA. Conclusions: Chloroquine seems to have potential antivirotic properties that may be useful in the treatment of the grave acute forms of COVID-19 associated with Azithromycin. Nevertheless, Its indication must include ECG monitoring due to the risk of cardiac QT prolongation able to cause sudden deaths.

Ethnobotanical study of anti-malarials among communities in the municipal of Portel-PA, Brazil

Nearly all cultures use medicinal plants as a vital dietary resource, the ingredients collected from their surroundings being used for food and medicine. This study will provide the basis for further ethnopharmacological research by documenting the use of medicinal plants traditionally employed by the communities along the Aruanã River to treat malaria and related symptoms. While this is the first ethnobotanical study in this region, the socio-economic profile will also be evaluated as part of this study. We also aimed to review literature on traditional use of the cited species for comparison. Ethnobotanical data was collected using semi-structured interviews with 23 participants, which cited 29 species used to prevent and/or cure malaria and related symptoms. The interviewees ranged in age from 14 to 83, with 73.91% women, and 47.83% illiterate. Medicinal plants gathered from the wild and cultivated in gardens have been traditionally used to treat malaria and related symptoms among riverine communities. Documenting this local knowledge to compare with reviewed literature regarding efficacy and toxicity would be an essential part in the search for a new antimalarial agent.

An Updated Review of Phytochemical Compounds and Pharmacology Activities of Artocarpus genus

The Artocarpus genus from the Moraceae family, widely planted in tropic and subtropic regions of Asia, can be used as a food commodity and treat diseases. In this study, the phytochemical compounds and pharmacological activities of several Artocarpus species were examined. The literature review was performed to elaborate phytochemical compounds and pharmacological activities of Artocarpus plants. The reference articles have DOI and were obtained through the Scopus and PubMed websites database to ensure their validity and reliable contents. This literature study was made by using minimum 50 articles from the last 10 years. Based on this study, it was known that some Artocarpus species contained an abundance of flavonoids, phenols, steroids, tannins, saponins, and triterpenoids. The compounds have various activities such as antimicrobial, antifungal, antiviral, antidiabetic, anticancer, antimalarial, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant. It needed more further studies about Artocarpus to comprehend the flavonoid and triterpenoid mechanism as an antimalarial agent.