Cryptosporidiosis: A Potential Anti-diarrheal Natural Product Drug Discovery Journey in Ghana, West Africa

The overwhelming resistance to current drugs and the exhaustion of drug development interventions, as well as synthetic libraries, have compelled researchers to resort to the use of novel drug candidates derived from natural products. Cryptosporidium, the causative organism of Cryptosporidiosis, is no exception. The diarrhea-causing parasite is known to be the leading cause of deaths in children below age 5 in developing countries like Ghana and second to rotavirus as the causative agent for diarrhea in newborn calves and infants.

Currently, the only FDA approved drug for the treatment of Cryptosporidiosis is Nitazoxanide. It is, therefore, needful to develop novel alternative candidates as it could aid in the decrease in child mortality and malnutrition in developing countries. Even though there have been significant limitations into anti-cryptosporidial drug development in vitro and in vivo, essential advancements are being made of which this article addresses the need for research into natural products. Some studies outlined in this paper has stated potential plant extracts showing anti-cryptosporidiosis efficacy. With the wealth of medicinal plant products and Cryptosporidium in vitro culture expertise available in our labs at Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical research we are certain of making potential significant strides in the world of natural product Cryptosporidium drug discovery in Africa.