ABSTRACT
Malaria is one of the most common neglected tropical protozoal illnesses caused by Plasmodium species and spread by female Anopheles mosquitos. In 2021, it was approximated that there will be 247 million malaria cases in 84 malaria-endemic countries (including French Guiana territory), rising from 245 million in 2020, with the majority of this increase coming from countries in the World Health Organization (WHO) African region. In 2015, the baseline year for the Global Malaria Technological Strategy (GTS) 2016-2030, an estimated 230 million malaria cases were reported. Traditional medicine usage is prevalent among communities in low- to middle-income countries, and it is a significant problem that influences and possibly challenges effective, safe, and coordinated malaria preventive and treatment measures. Croton (Euphorbiaceae) includes 1,300 species, the majority of which are widely utilized in traditional medicine due to its capacity to treat a wide range of ailments. Some species in this genus, such as Croton argyratus Blume, Croton gratissimus Burch., Croton macrostachyus Hochst. ex Delile, etc., have key verified therapeutic qualities that can give leads in the treatment of this life-threatening parasitic illness. The presence of different bioactive compounds such as alkaloids; mono-, di-, and triterpenoids; phenolics; phytosterols; and volatile oils in the plant’s roots, leaves, bark, and fruit is responsible for all the ethnomedicinal qualities of the genera. In this chapter, we review the traditional practices, effective, potential uses of species of Croton genera as prospective antimalarial drug.
