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J. Pospíšil et al.
the plant growth–development–reproduction (GDR) cycle, the diversity of speciesspecific SMs provides the plant with a unique opportunity not only to “survive” but
also gives them an advantage both in their survival and in the need for adaptation
[5].
The structural diversity of SMs is generated due to the wide variety of abiotic and
biotic stresses that plants face in each day in the fight for their survival [2, 6]. Once
produced, SMs take an important role in various plant responses (e.g., as antiviral,
antibacterial or antifungal protective agents), or they participate in plant/environment
interactions (e.g., serving as signal messengers in communication/competition within
plants and/or symbiotic microorganisms, or as pollinator attractants) [7]. Certain
regulatory roles of SMs have been reported in the case of pathogen-induced cell
death, oxidative cell burst, auxin transport, and in cell division [8–11]. Based on
their purpose, SMs can be present in a specific plant tissue/organ in the form of
an active compound (direct use), or in the form of an inactivated precursor (to be
used when needed, e.g., in the cases of infection, wounding, or stress). In some
cases, the activation can be elicited by external sources (e.g., herbivore digestioninitiated activation, or in methyl salicylate-to-salicylic acid transformation in the
livers of herbivores) [7]. Herbivore digestion-related activation of SMs [7], based on
the close plant/herbivore coexistence, is of great interest. Indeed, some SMs of plants
have developed over time the ability to mimic the function of endogenous molecules
(hormones, substrates, etc.) of herbivores, and therefore to interact exclusively with
herbivore-based molecular targets located within membranes and enzymes. However,
the effects of plant SMs on herbivores are not only negative, since numerous positive
effects of SMs on human/animal health have been reported [12–14]. In addition,
many SMs have served as starting points in drug development campaigns [13–16].
In the present contribution, the authors would like to draw the reader’s attention
toward the role that phenylpropanoid-based SMs play in the treatment of a humanrelated parasite caused disease — leishmaniasis. After a brief introduction to both
leishmaniasis and phenylpropanoid biosynthesis, the biological activity of phenylpropanoids in general will be covered. As apparent from Section 2, leishmaniasis
is a disease that is difficult to treat. This is a illness where many apparently unrelated features such as poor nutrition and coinfection by other diseases can interfere
with the healing process. For this reason, the present contribution covers several not
necessarily related aspects of lignan and neolignan biological activity.
Phenylpropanoids, as phenolic SMs, are present to a substantial degree in the
daily diet, and therefore should be considered not only as potential sources of future
drugs (or as interesting structural motifs to develop new drugs) but also for their
influence on the treatment or prevention of various diseases from the nutritional
point of view. Phenylpropanoids that are ingested by humans each day, can have,
and presumably do have, a big influence on the efficacy of medical treatments and
on healing processes.
J. Pospíšil et al.
the plant growth–development–reproduction (GDR) cycle, the diversity of speciesspecific SMs provides the plant with a unique opportunity not only to “survive” but
also gives them an advantage both in their survival and in the need for adaptation
[5].
The structural diversity of SMs is generated due to the wide variety of abiotic and
biotic stresses that plants face in each day in the fight for their survival [2, 6]. Once
produced, SMs take an important role in various plant responses (e.g., as antiviral,
antibacterial or antifungal protective agents), or they participate in plant/environment
interactions (e.g., serving as signal messengers in communication/competition within
plants and/or symbiotic microorganisms, or as pollinator attractants) [7]. Certain
regulatory roles of SMs have been reported in the case of pathogen-induced cell
death, oxidative cell burst, auxin transport, and in cell division [8–11]. Based on
their purpose, SMs can be present in a specific plant tissue/organ in the form of
an active compound (direct use), or in the form of an inactivated precursor (to be
used when needed, e.g., in the cases of infection, wounding, or stress). In some
cases, the activation can be elicited by external sources (e.g., herbivore digestioninitiated activation, or in methyl salicylate-to-salicylic acid transformation in the
livers of herbivores) [7]. Herbivore digestion-related activation of SMs [7], based on
the close plant/herbivore coexistence, is of great interest. Indeed, some SMs of plants
have developed over time the ability to mimic the function of endogenous molecules
(hormones, substrates, etc.) of herbivores, and therefore to interact exclusively with
herbivore-based molecular targets located within membranes and enzymes. However,
the effects of plant SMs on herbivores are not only negative, since numerous positive
effects of SMs on human/animal health have been reported [12–14]. In addition,
many SMs have served as starting points in drug development campaigns [13–16].
In the present contribution, the authors would like to draw the reader’s attention
toward the role that phenylpropanoid-based SMs play in the treatment of a humanrelated parasite caused disease — leishmaniasis. After a brief introduction to both
leishmaniasis and phenylpropanoid biosynthesis, the biological activity of phenylpropanoids in general will be covered. As apparent from Section 2, leishmaniasis
is a disease that is difficult to treat. This is a illness where many apparently unrelated features such as poor nutrition and coinfection by other diseases can interfere
with the healing process. For this reason, the present contribution covers several not
necessarily related aspects of lignan and neolignan biological activity.
Phenylpropanoids, as phenolic SMs, are present to a substantial degree in the
daily diet, and therefore should be considered not only as potential sources of future
drugs (or as interesting structural motifs to develop new drugs) but also for their
influence on the treatment or prevention of various diseases from the nutritional
point of view. Phenylpropanoids that are ingested by humans each day, can have,
and presumably do have, a big influence on the efficacy of medical treatments and
on healing processes.