Therapeutic Potential of Plant Bioactives in the Control and Treatment of Schistosomiasis

Abstract

Schistosomiasis, an acute and chronic parasitic disease caused by blood flukes of the genus Schistosoma is prevalent amongst tropical and subtropical regions where access to safe water and sanitation is lacking. Praziquantel is the foremost treatment available but with restricted efficacy and emergence of drug resistance emphasizing an urgent need for novel therapeutic agents. This review was aimed to explore the clinical, pharmacological, and ethnobotanical data on medicinal plants that have been shown to have anti-schistosomal properties. A complete exploration of peer-reviewed literature was carried out through major scientific databases including PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, ScienceDirect, and Google Scholar, supplemented with reference connecting from significant research and review papers and World Health Organization reports published between 1980 and 2025. A considerable number of plants bioactives have demonstrated significant anti-schistosomal effects due to their anti-fibrotic, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant abilities. The various plant bioactives include thymoquinone, artemisinin, artemether, quercetin, berberine, curcumin, rutin etc. extracted from various plants sources including Artemisia annua, Nigella sativa and Curcuma longa. These compounds reduce worm burden, lessen cercarial and snail motility and impair egg hatching. Plant bioactives when systematically validated, medicinal plants signify a forefront in the development of alternative or complementary remedies against schistosomiasis.