Exploring the role of antioxidants to combat oxidative stress in malaria parasites.

Malaria, the global challenge, is a parasitic disease caused by Plasmodium species. Approximately 229 million cases of malaria were reported in 2019. Major incidences occur in various continents including African and Eastern Mediterranean Continents and South-East Asia. Despite the overall decline in global incidence from 2010 to 2018, the rate of decline is almost constant since 2014. The morbidity and mortality have been accelerated due to reactive oxygen species (ROS) caused oxidative stress generated by the parasite responsible for the destruction of host metabolism and cell nutrients. The excessive release of free radicals is associated with the infection of the animal or human body by the parasites. This may be related to a reduction in nutrients, required for the generation of antioxidants and to the destruction of cells by parasite activity. Hence, natural antioxidants may be useful as an adjuvant treatment along with antimalarial chemotherapeutics to reduce the death rate and to enhance the success rate in the treatment of malaria. In this manuscript, an attempt has been made to provide significant insight into the antioxidant activities of herbal extracts against malaria parasites.