AUTHOR=Tan Sijie , Tong Wen Han , Vyas Ajai 

TITLE=Impact of Plant-Based Foods and Nutraceuticals on Toxoplasma gondii Cysts: Nutritional Therapy as a Viable Approach for Managing Chronic Brain Toxoplasmosis

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Nutrition

VOLUME=9

YEAR=2022

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/nutrition/articles/10.3389/fnut.2022.827286

DOI=10.3389/fnut.2022.827286

ISSN=2296-861X

ABSTRACT=<p><italic>Toxoplasma gondii</italic> is an obligate intracellular parasite that mainly infects warm-blooded animals including humans. <italic>T. gondii</italic> can encyst and persist chronically in the brain, leading to a broad spectrum of neurological sequelae. Despite the associated health threats, no clinical drug is currently available to eliminate <italic>T. gondii</italic> cysts. In a continuous effort to uncover novel therapeutic agents for these cysts, the potential of nutritional products has been explored. Herein, we describe findings from <italic>in vitro</italic> and <italic>in vivo</italic> studies that support the efficacy of plant-based foods and nutraceuticals against brain cyst burden and cerebral pathologies associated with chronic toxoplasmosis. Finally, we discuss strategies to increase the translatability of preclinical studies and nutritional products to address whether nutritional therapy can be beneficial for coping with chronic <italic>T. gondii</italic> infections in humans.</p>