Anti-Toxoplasma Effect of Essential Oils Used as Food Ingredient

Abstract

Toxoplasmosis is a serious disease caused by Toxoplasma gondii. Natural products have been reported in the literature as an effective therapeutic alternative in the treatment of this infection. Among the natural products, we highlight the use of essential oils that have numerous properties in the treatment of various diseases, including anti-T. gondii. In this chapter, we discuss the effect of essential oils, the majority of them obtained from plants used as food ingredient, on the parasite that causes toxoplasmosis, their mechanisms of action, the synergistic effects between essential oil components, as well as the importance of using encapsulations. The phytochemical compounds are said to be responsible for the anti-T. gondii activity of essential oils and are therefore considered an excellent alternative for the search of new compounds for the treatment of toxoplasmosis. Further research will provide better understandings of the potential of essential oils against T. gondii, thus aiding in the search for therapeutically active solutions from natural products.