Arundic acid a potential neuroprotective agent: biological development and syntheses

Arundic acid has been experimented in vitro and in vivo as a potential neuroprotective agent. It modulates astrocyte activation by inhibiting the enhanced astrocytic synthesis of S-100β protein, responsible for inducing neuronal death. The phase II clinical trials for the treatment of acute ischemic stroke, as well as clinical development in other neurodegenerative diseases including amytrophic lateral sclerosis, Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease are recently completed. There is no review published in this area since its discovery as potential neuroprotective agent and the various syntheses reported for this important non-natural compound. This review summarizes the studies towards the development of arundic acid as a neuroprotective agent, the biological studies in vitro and in vivo, the phase II trials and the various efforts made for its synthesis in the last two decades.