Nanotechnology: A promising strategy for the control of parasitic infections

The organisms which live in and on the body of living organisms for food and shelter are called parasites (Bahuguna and Rawat, 2020). These are mainly divided into the three classes which are ectoparasites, protozoa and helminthes. The four main features which are involved in the classification of parasites are adaptations, morphology, evolution and genetic variation (Raj et al., 2020). They cause different diseases in the by entering into the body of host (human and animals). To cause disease the entrance of the parasite into the body of host is very necessary and that occurs by direct contact, fecal-oral route and vectors (Swargiary et al., 2019). Due to the lack of suitable treatment options and pharmaceutical research the parasitic infections are highly prevalent and effecting large population all over the world (Raj et al., 2020). In most parts of the world parasitic diseases are neglected and death rate is very high due to these infections. Traditionally ethnobotanicals and chemotherapeutic therapeutic agents are used to treat the infections caused by the parasites (Swargiary et al., 2019). Chemotherapeutic agents act as acarisidal, insectisidal, antiprotozoal and anthelminthic agents. The agents which are used to treat various protozoal diseases are anti-amoebic, antimalarials, trypanocidal and antigiardial (Benelli, 2018; Masunda et al., 2019). The mechanism are adopted by these agents to kill the parasites which include disruption of parasitic DNA, protein synthesis inhibition and parasitic membrane degradation to kill parasites. But these treatments are short terms (Pritt, 2020; Rokkas et al., 2021). General Mechanism of action of nanoparticles against parasites has been shown in Fig. 1.

The option used for the treatment and control of parasites is use of plant based materials (ethnobotanicals) and vaccines (Imarhiagbe, 2021). Plant roots, shoots, leaves and flowers are used for the control of parasitic infections (Benelli, 2018). But plant-based materials are rarely used to control parasitic infections are very little research is done on the use ethnobotanicals for the parasitic control (Campbell and Soman-Faulkner, 2021).

As we know that there is very high antigenic variation in parasites during the immunogenic response so, the vaccine development against parasitic infections is difficult (Campbell and Soman-Faulkner, 2021; Syed et al., 2020). When an individual is vaccinated to protect it from a parasitic infection, the immune system targets the parasite, but after this parasite re attack the host with antigenic mimicry and antigenic shift (Getahun et al., 2019; Strbac et al., 2020; Versteeg et al., 2019). There are many mechanisms which help parasite to protect it from the host immune system.

Latest research indicated that the use of nanoparticles (NPs) can be very useful for the control of parasitic infections (Aderibigbe, 2017). Reduction in size of certain materials to nano-size made specific change in their properties. These structures can be used to control, diagnose and treat the bacterial, viral and parasite infections (Khezerlou et al., 2018). Some researchers reported that nanoparticles showed tremendous results against parasitic infections (Nafari et al., 2020).

Raj et al., 2020 studied the pathological changes caused by Leishmania and its cure by using the targeting metabolic pathways. He mentioned that by targeting the metabolic pathways involved in the pathogenesis of this para site we treat and prevent his diseases (Raj et al., 2020). Swargiary et al., 2019 demonstrated the pathogenesis of helminthes and its cure by using herbal agents (Swargiary et al., 2019). Benelli et al., 2018 discussed the damages caused by insects and its control by using the golf nanoparticles (Benelli, 2018). Strbac et al., 2020 studied the gastrointestinal parasites of sheep and its control by using the by using essential oils (Strbac et al., 2020).

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