Detoxification of Paraquat: Scooping up the Moon from the Water?

Review Detoxification of Paraquat: Scooping up the Moon from the Water? Yanyan Zhu and Xiuping Chen * State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Macao SAR, 519000, China * Correspondence: [email protected]; Tel.: +853-88224679 Received: 9 May 2024; Revised: 6 June 2024; Accepted: 12 June 2024; Published: 23 August 2024 Abstract: Paraquat poisoning is a global public health problem, particularly in the Asia-Pacific region. Ingestion of even small amounts of paraquat can be life-threatening. However, there is no specific antidote for this pesticide, which has a low lethal dose and high lethality in humans. Paraquat poisoning causes systemic toxicity with the primary target organ being the lungs, resulting in acute alveolitis and pulmonary fibrosis. It can also lead to multiple organ failure. This review summarizes the current clinical management of patients with paraquat poisoning and the potentially effective compounds reported in the literature and patents for the treatment of paraquat poisoning. It also summarizes future directions for antidote development based on reports of available potential antidotes and provides ideas for paraquat antidote development.