Neoflavonoids as Prospective Compounds Against Parasitic Neglected Tropical Infections and Human Immunodeficiency Virus

Background: Neoflavonoids comprise a group of compounds that have a C6-C3-C6 carbon skeleton and that naturally occur in higher plants from families Clusiaceae, Leguminosae, Rubiaceae, Passifloraceae, Asteraceae and Rutaceae. Objective: Neoflavonoids have drawn great interest lately due to their pharmacological and biochemical properties found in vitro and in vivo studies, which is attributed to the pattern of substitutions found in their basic chemical structure. Methods: This review was prepared by analyzing articles selected from Science Direct, Scopus, Pub Med, Web of Science and SciFinder. Results: Among other pharmacological activities, in vitro and in vivo studies have highlighted these compounds as promising bioactive molecules in the treatment of some parasitic neglected tropical infections (NTIs) such as malaria, leishmaniasis and American trypanosomiasis (Chagas Disease). Neoflavonoids have also showed activity against HIV-1 (human immunodeficiency virus type 1), and have been used to develop new molecules for the treatment of HIV/AIDS. Conclusion: Therefore, a more intensive research of neoflavonoids can provide inputs to discover and develop alternative therapies from new bioactive molecules. Thus, this review summarizes the results of studies involving neoflavonoids and their derivatives with therapeutic implications in the treatment of NTIs and HIV.