| The objective of the current study was to systematically review papers discussing the efficacy of medicinal herbs
against Toxoplasma gondii. Data were systematically collected from published papers about the efficacy of herbs used against
T. gondii globally from 1988 to 2015, from PubMed, Google Scholar, ISI Web of Science, EBSCO, Science Direct, and Scopus.
Forty-nine papers were included in the current systematic review reporting the evaluation of medicinal plants against T. gondii
globally, both in vitro and in vivo. Sixty-one plants were evaluated. Most of the studies were carried out on Artemisia annua. The
second highest number of studies were carried out on Glycyrrhiza glabra extracts. RH and ME49 were the predominant parasite
strains used. Additionally, Swiss-Webster and BALB/c mice were the major animal models used. Alcoholic and aqueous extracts
were used more than other types of extracts. Natural compounds mentioned here may be developed as novel and more effective
therapeutic agents that improve the treatment of toxoplasmosis due to their lower side effects, higher availability, and better
cultural acceptance compared with those of the chemical drugs that are currently being used. |