Meeting Abstract
Infections caused by parasitic protozoans continue to affect millions of individuals worldwide, however treatments for these infections have proven to be problematic in a variety of ways. Most treatments use broad-spectrum antimetabolites that do not specifically target the protozoan itself and so result in severe, and sometimes lethal, side effects. Natives in developing countries utilize a vast number of natural medicines for antiparasitic and antimicrobial treatments, and anecdotal stories suggest that some of these may be both efficacious and more target specific than other medications. Prior research from our laboratory suggest that extracts from Ficus insipida collected from the Peruvian Amazon potentially has antiparasitic properties in relation to both protistal and bacterial parasites. Here we describe work specifically exploring the impact of F. insipida extracts on bacterial growth and colony formation, and reproduction and motility in trypanosomes. We will discuss both potential medical and evolutionary/biochemical implications.
